The Philippines armed forces have killed 28 members of the pro-Islamic State Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in military operations to pre-empt attacks by the militants. They had planned to launch “large-scale and simultaneous bombings” targeting several cities in central Mindanao before the onset of Eid Fitr celebrations this Friday, according to Channel News Asia. Separately on Tuesday, the government’s opposition, Liberal Party, urged the government to lift the martial law decree imposed on Mindanao, claiming it was preventing Marawi City from healing the wounds inflicted by the Maute attack last year, the Manila Times reports. Meanwhile, the recruitment activities of extremist groups in Central Mindanao have continued and intensified even after the five-month Marawi City siege that broke out on May 23 last year, according to a prominent terrorism expert.