Armed Forces in the Philippines have retaken St Mary's cathedral in Marawi after more than three months in the hands of Islamist extremists.
Experts have spent the last few days removing improvised explosives which were left by the radicals who seized the building in May.
Footage from AFP shows the bullet-ridden walls of the church with destroyed icons and other parts of the building scattered on the floor.
Speaking to charity Aid to the Church in Need of plans to restore the building, Bishop Edwin dela Pena said: "More than the cathedral, what is more important is to restore the Christian community and its good relations with Muslims living in Marawi."
The extremists known as 'Maute' and inspired by Islamic State are reportedly down to 30-45 members from its original 200.
They still control an estimated area of 600 square meters in Marawi and continue to hold about 56 Christian hostages, including Marawi Prelature's Vicar General Fr Teresito "Chito" Suganob.
A Monthly Gift Of $11 Makes A World Of Difference
In a world of fake news there’s never been a greater need for quality Christian journalism. Premier’s mission is to provide the Church with the most up to date and relevant news, told from a Christian perspective. But we can’t do it without you.
Unlike many websites we haven't put up a paywall — we want to keep our journalism free at the point of need and as open as we can. Premier’s news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. No one in the USA is sharing news like we are across radio, magazines and online so please help us to continue that today.
For a monthly gift of $11 or more we’d also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture.
Your monthly support will make a world of difference. Thank you.
Support Us
