The Philippines has declared an end to a five-month military operation in a southern city held by militants from the so-called Islamic State.<br /><br />The fierce urban conflict in Marawi sparked the country’s biggest security crisis in years.<br /><br />The government said troops put a stop to the last stand of rebel gunmen after they’d refused to surrender.<br /><br />“The last group of strugglers, they were caught in one building… there was a firefight, so they were finished,” said the Philippines’ Defence Minister Delfin Lorenzana.<br /><br />More than 300,000 people were displaced in the confict in which the authorities said more than 900 militants were killed, along with nearly 200 others.<br /><br />The rebel occupation surprised the military and sparked concern that ISIL had gained influence among local Muslims.<br /><br />President Duterte had declared Marawi City liberated six days ago, though fighting was not over. More gunfire and artillery were reported on Monday. <br /><br />A senior military commander said troops would secure the city from any militants who remained.<br /><br />The government estimates that rebuilding the heart of Marawi could cost more than a billion dollars.<br />
