Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to impose martial law nationwide to combat an ongoing armed threat, after fighters beheaded a police officer and took churchgoers hostage, in a violent rampage that forced thousands to flee the southern city of Marawi.
"I will not hesitate to do anything and everything to protect and preserve the Filipino nation," Duterte said on Wednesday after arriving back in Manila from his trip to Russia.
"I might declare martial law throughout the country to protect the people."
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Duterte declared martial law on Tuesday in the southern region of Mindanao – which makes up roughly one third of the country and is home to 20 million people – in an immediate response to the attacks by the fighters, who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group.
The military said at least 13 fighters were also killed by the military.