Around 85,000 people have been forced to leave their homes as an ongoing military operation in Marawi City entered seventh day.

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) government’s crisis management center recorded a total of 84,460 internally displaced persons.

They are either staying at designated evacuation centers or at their relative’s houses in nearby towns, Humanitarian and Emergency Action and Response Team’s focal person Myrna Jo Henry told Anadolu Agency.

He said there are at least 3,717 stranded individuals in the city, while 59 persons have gone missing.

Marawi is one of the only two cities in the ARMM. It is situated in the province of Lanao del Sur and has a population of more than 200,000 based on the 2015 census -- a vast majority of them are Muslims.

Hataman said the terror and displacement have made the observance of Ramadan unusually somber and tough for the city’s vast Muslim population.

Zia Alonto Adiong, a politician coordinating efforts to evacuate civilians, said several civilians who remain in Marawi despite the clashes were without food and wanted the military to stop air strikes.

PHOTO CAPTION

A view of a fire caused by continued fighting in Marawi City in southern Philippines May 28, 2017. REUTERS

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