MANILA - The military on Friday launched a fresh wave of air strikes against Maute terrorists in Marawi City, as officials hoped to liberate the war-shaken city on June 12, Independence Day.

FA50 fighter jets flew over Marawi City in a new wave of air strikes to rid the battle-torn city of remaining extremists, according to a report by ABS-CBN News reporter Chiara Zambrano.

A ferocious FA50 airstrike on the center of Marawi City. The firefight has been relentless today with 3 soldiers dead, about a dozen wounded pic.twitter.com/LyxznIpWHn

— Chiara Zambrano (@chiarazambrano) June 9, 2017

At least 3 soldiers were killed in the firefight Friday while over a dozen others were wounded. A 15-year-old boy praying in a mosque in the city was earlier reported killed by sniper fire.

Ambulances carrying wounded soldiers were seen going in and out of the city.

Residents in Marawi City said ground assaults have been relentless since last night.

Clashes between government forces and extremists in Marawi City erupted last May 23 as state forces attempted to arrest terror leader Isnilon Hapilon, known to be the anointed ISIS chief in Southeast Asia.

Video found by the military showed that Hapilon, along with Maute leaders, planned to carry out attacks in the city days before the clashes began.

At least 200 have died in the firefights while more than 200,000 residents have fled the city since clashes began.-report from Chiara Zambrano, ABS-CBN News