Philippines troops find $1.6 million in cash and checks at Islamist positions

Philippines troops have found bundles of banknotes and checks worth about $1.6 million at a compound abandoned by Islamic State-affiliated militants in Marawi City, Reuters reports. The area has been cleared of the militants after two weeks of hostilities. During the past 25 hours, the military has captured several buildings defended by snipers. One house contained a vault loaded with stacks of money worth 52.2 million pesos ($1.06 million) and checks made out for a total of 27 million pesos ($550,000). “The recovery of those millions of cash indicates that they are running because the government troops are pressing in and focusing on destroying them,” Marines Operations Officer Rowan Rimas told reporters on Tuesday.