Zamboanga City hall resumes operations

MANILA, Philippines - The Zamboanga City Hall resumed operations on Monday morning, three weeks after Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) fighters laid siege on the city.

Mayor Isabella Climaco-Salazar, meanwhile, said that the Philippine flag at the city hall was raised at half-mast to mourn for all those who died in the crisis.

The city government also reported that local businesses and some of the schools in the city have resumed classes.

The Zamboanga City government earlier posted a photo of Climaco-Salazar with top military and police officials during a meeting of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

CDRRMC meeting headed by Mayor Climaco together with top military & police officials now on going at the City Hall. pic.twitter.com/GVb4D4wQ1f

— zambocitygovt (@zambocitygovt) September 30, 2013

On Saturday, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin declared that the security crisis in the city is over.

The Philippine National Police is heading the ongoing clearing operations in the villages that were occupied by the MNLF fighters led by five of its commanders, including Habier Malik.

Authorities said the clearing operations may take a few more days because of the extensive damage wrought by the MNLF's hostilities in the city.

Several hectares of residential areas were razed to the ground by the rebels during the standoff with the security forces.