CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines, June 11 (Reuters) - P resident Rodrigo Duterte said on Sunday he did not seek support from Washington to end the siege of a southern Philippines town by Islamist militants, a day after the United States said it was providing assistance at the request of the government. Duterte told a news conference in Cagayan de Oro City, about 100 km (62 miles) from the besieged town of Marawi, that he had "never approached America" for help. "At the request of the government of the Philippines, U.S. special operations forces are assisting the (Armed Forces of the Philippines) with ongoing operations in Marawi that help AFP commanders on the ground in their fight against Maute and ASG militants," the U.S. Embassy in Manila said in a statement. Video footage from Philippine news channel ABS-CBN News showed a US PS Orion intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft flying over Marawi on Friday. ​Duterte, who declared martial law on Mindanao — an island the size of South Korea — after the Islamist fighters overran 

 Marawi, said that under martial law he has authority over the defence department. He did not say the armed forces had gone over his head but noted that, because of years of training from the United States, “our soldiers are pro-American, that I cannot deny.”

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement U.S. forces were not participating directly in combat operations as it is prohibited by Philippines law. The Maute group, also known as Islamic State Lanao, led the attack on Marawi which began on May 23 and has resulted in the deaths of 58 security forces, 20 civilians and around 138 militant fighters. Fighting had erupted on May 23 after a bungled raid aimed at capturing Isnilon Hapilon, whom Islamic State proclaimed as its “emir” of Southeast Asia a year ago after he pledged allegiance to the group.
Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte says he is "not aware" of the United States providing support to the Philippine government's military intervention against Islamists in Marawi. Duterte also said that he "never approached America for help".