Hundreds of civilians hoping to flee fighting in the besieged Philippines city of Marawi remained trapped on Sunday after a four-hour ceasefire to evacuate residents was marred by gunfire.

Authorities said they had finally been able to negotiate a truce with fighters linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS), but continued clashes throughout the morning meant it was not put into place as expected.

At least 134 people are believed to have been rescued.

READ MORE: Dozens flee 'ISIL gunmen' in besieged Philippine city

President Rodrigo Duterte had asked the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a separatist movement based on the island of Mindanao, to help negotiate a peace settlement with the fighters, who are predominantly drawn from the Maute group based in and around Marawi.

Maute is named after its leaders, the Maute brothers, who are cousins of the second wife of Alim Abdulaziz Mimbantas, a MILF leader. The government signed a peace deal with the MILF in 2014.





MILF cadres organised Sunday's ceasefire, which was to run from 8am until noon. They roamed the streets with loudhailers urging residents to leave.

But by 9am, gunfire had broken out, deterring residents from joining a mass exodus.

Local authorities said government officials, working through intermediaries, had reached agreement with the fighters to observe the four-hour ceasefire and let the trapped civilians leave.



But the officials failed to secure agreement from their own military for the truce, provincial crisis management committee spokesman Zia Alonto Adiong told the AFP news agency.



He said the military only allowed rescuers to access areas on the fringes of zones held by the fighters, and barred them from entering bombed-out city blocks.



As a result only some 170-plus trapped residents were led to safety on Sunday, according to the military. Speaking to the Reuters news agency, a presidential spokesman put the number of those who were evacuated at 134.



"We felt a bit disappointed and betrayed. We're talking about lives of people, my God!" Adiong said.



"There are 2,000 people who need immediate help (after) 13 days without food."

The battle for Marawi, a city on Mindanao island, began almost two weeks ago and prompted Duterte to declare martial law in the southern region.

Authorities lifted the civilian death toll from 20 to 38 on Sunday - but said all those deaths were caused by the separatist fighters.

A presidential spokesman said 120 fighters had died, along with 38 government forces.

Government forces have bombarded Marawi with air raids and waged fierce street-to-street battles with hundreds of gunmen since they rampaged through the Muslim city of 200,000 on May 23 after the military attempted to arrest their leader, Isnilon Hapilon.

READ MORE: Mindanao crisis - A city on fire

Scores of people made a daring dash for safety on Saturday, including one of Marawi's most respected politicians who had hidden 71 Christians in his home and led 144 people through downtown streets strewn with rotting corpses.

Many residents told Reuters that the air raids caused extensive property damage and dozens of civilian deaths.

Duterte said the use of air power had been restrained so far.

"I can end this war in 24 hours," he said. "All I have to do is to bomb the whole place and level it to the ground." </s> Philippine authorities said Sunday they were trying to negotiate a ceasefire in a war-torn southern city to rescue up to 2,000 civilians trapped in areas held by Islamist militants for nearly two weeks.

Government forces have bombarded Marawi with air strikes and waged fierce street-to-street battles with hundreds of gunmen since they began a rampage through residential areas waving the black flags of the Islamic State (IS).

Authorities said Sunday they had finally been able to negotiate a ceasefire with the militants to allow those trapped to be released, although continued fighting throughout the morning meant it was not put into place as hoped.

"There are 2,000 people who need immediate help (after) 13 days without food," Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesman for the provincial crisis management committee, told AFP.

"We do not know if the ceasefire has been breached," he said, adding that a sudden surge in fighting had hampered the rescue efforts.

Scores of people made a daring dash for safety on Saturday, including one of Marawi's most respected politicians who had hidden 71 Christians in his home and led 144 people through downtown streets strewn with rotting corpses.

The militants behind the violence in Marawi mostly belong to a local group called the Maute and the infamous Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom gang which had pledged allegiance to IS and rejected official peace talks.

Sunday's ceasefire was initially reached following a meeting last week between President Rodrigo Duterte and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the nation's biggest rebel organisation which offered to broker a halt in hostilities using contacts with the fighters in Marawi, Adiong told DZBB radio.

Unarmed MILF rebels had a four-hour window until noon (0400 GMT) to take civilians to safety, government rescue coordinator Naguib Sinarimbo said.

But an AFP reporter said there was a sudden burst of gunfire and an explosion as rescue teams were entering the city.

A Muslim separatist rebellion in the southern Philippines has killed more than 120,000 people since the 1970s.

The MILF has signed accords with the government aimed at forging lasting peace, giving up their separatist ambitions in return for autonomy.

But small hardline groups, including the Maute and Abu Sayyaf, have refused to negotiate and sought to united behind IS.

The clashes in Marawi erupted when security forces raided a house to arrest Isnilon Hapilon, a veteran Filipino militant regarded as IS's leader in the Philippines. He is on the US government's list of most-wanted terrorists.

Authorities said they were taken by surprise when many gunmen emerged to protect Hapilon and then went on a rampage through Marawi, which has a population of 200,000.

Shortly after the violence erupted Duterte imposed martial law across the southern region of Mindanao, home to 20 million people, to quell what he said was an IS bid to establish a base in the mainly Catholic Philippines. </s> MARAWI CITY – At least 134 trapped civilians were rescued when military and the Islamic State-inspired gunmen observed a four-hour humanitarian ceasefire on the 13th day of hostilities here.

Armed with megaphones, five teams composed of Moro Islamic Liberation Front members, went out to the war zone areas calling for trapped civilians to come out of their hiding places.

“We are able to retrieve 134 children, men, women, elderly and the sick,” Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process assistance secretary Dickson Hermoso told reporters.

He said the ceasefire happened after an emissary helped negotiate with the militants on Saturday.

But one team was not able to do its task as fighting erupted in one part of Barangay Banggolo at 9:30 a.m. Sunday.

Mayor Majul Gandamra said they did not know who fired first.

Agakhan Shareif, a civil society group leader in Marawi and one those involved in the rescue efforts, said they were nearing Barangay Banggolo, where they will fetch trapped civilians, when exchange of gunfire erupted.

“May mga snipers (There are snipers),” he said.

Regional Assemblyman Zia Alonto Adiong, the acting spokesperson of the provincial government, had directed the rescue team to proceed to the capitol for safety.

The other teams, however, were able to rescue 134 trapped civilians.

Hermoso said the government’s emissary negotiated directly with Abduallah Maute, one of the leaders of the armed men.

He said there was no condition set by Maute for the peace corridor to take effect.

“We don’t know what prompted Abdullah to make such move, but maybe for humanitarian reason,” he said.

“Again, we request both sides to open a humanitarian space so that we can get all those trapped civilians in the war zone,” he added.

Government peace panel chair Irene Santiago said members of the MILF ceasefire committee participated in the effort to rescue trapped civilians.

President Duterte last week approved the creation of peace corridor amid the crisis.

“The peace corridor was going to be a way, a safe passage of peace and relief goods. This is jointly implemented by implementing panels of the government of the Philippines and the MILF,” Santiago said.

“We opened that peace corridor and you can see that we were able to accomplish so much in so little time,” she added.

Santiago said Sunday’s peace corridor covered the area from Banggulo bridge up to Quezon Avenue of Marawi, which is about three kilometers.

But Santiago explained that the government was not negotiating with the terrorists.

“We did not offer anything to them. When you are negotiating, you try not to offer anything. And that’s exactly what we did,” she said.

She said around 1,000 to 2,000 civilians are still trapped in the war zone.

“After what happened today, we are still optimistic that we can do it again,” she said.

As of June 2, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team (ARMM-Heart) has recorded a total of 221,275 internally displaced persons. Of the total number, 58,160 persons are in evacuation centers while 163,115 are staying with relatives outside Marawi.

At 2 p.m. Sunday, or two hours after the ceasefire expired, fighting continued, with government planes dropping bombs on suspected locations of militants. –Richel V. Umel and Jeoffrey Maitem with a report from Edwin O. Fernandez, Inquirer Mindanao </s> (UPDATED) The military declares a unilateral ceasefire from 8 am to noon on Sunday, June 4, to allow humanitarian workers to save residents trapped inside the combat zone

ILIGAN CITY, Philippines (UPDATED) – A total of 134 trapped residents were rescued on Sunday, June 4, after the military declared a 4-hour unilateral humanitarian ceasefire in Marawi City.

"It was a highly tense half-day until we got some trapped civilians out and our MILF rescue teams returned. No mishaps, thank God. The peace corridor enabled 134 people to come out safely," said Irene Santiago, chairperson of the government peace panel, on her Facebook page.

The unilateral declaration was arranged by panels of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that are implementing a peace agreement signed under the previous administration. (READ: Duterte creates 'peace corridors' with MILF for Marawi residents)

"It is a period coordinated with our forces, approved by the chief of staff, providing for a 4-hour window to allow entry of humanitarian workers from the local government units, non-government organizations, and civil society organizations," said military spokesperson Brigadier General Restituto Padilla.

"It's a humanitarian pause," he added. The ceasefire started at 8 am and ended at noon.

The MILF is the country's dominant Muslim rebel group. Central Mindanao, where Marawi City is located, is the MILF's known bailiwick.

Rappler spotted representatives of the government and MILF panels at the Lanao del Sur provincial capitol in Marawi City the night of May 31 to arrange logistics for the peace corridor.

Padilla said gunshots were reported during the ceasefire, however. – Rappler.com </s> MARAWI CITY, Philippines, June 4 (Reuters) - Thousands of civilians hoping to flee fighting in the besieged Philippines city of Marawi remained trapped on Sunday after a four-hour truce to evacuate residents was disrupted by gunfire.

Only 134 were freed on Sunday, less than on previous days, despite government hopes that more than 1,000 would be able to leave a city battered by 13 days of intense fighting.

President Rodrigo Duterte predicted the siege would be over within days despite fierce resistance by militants aligned with Islamic State (IS) in the dense urban heart of the city on the southern island of Mindanao.

"This will be over in about three more days," Duterte said on Saturday after visiting a hospital in Cagayan de Oro where wounded soldiers were being treated. "I will not hesitate to use every power available."

About 400 local militants reinforced by about 40 foreign fighters stormed Marawi on May 23, using sophisticated battlefield tactics to seize large swathes of the lakeside city.

They have been pushed back to the city centre by Philippines forces over the past week after around 4,000 ground troops moved in, bolstered by helicopters and aircraft deploying rockets and bombs.

Many residents have told Reuters that the air strikes caused extensive property damage and dozens of civilian deaths. Authorities raised the civilian death toll from 20 to 38 on Sunday - but said all those deaths were caused by militants.

A presidential spokesman said 120 militants had died, along with 38 government forces. Duterte said the use of air power had been restrained so far.

"I can end this war in 24 hours," he said. "All I have to do is to bomb the whole place and level it to the ground."

Duterte has asked the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), an Islamic separatist movement based on Mindanao, to help negotiate a peace deal with the militants, who are predominantly drawn from the Maute Group based in and around Marawi.

While touring a Japanese warship docked at a former U.S. navy base on Sunday, Duterte said he had accepted the offer of a second Muslim guerrilla group, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which signed a peace deal with Manila in 1996, to send 2,000 fighters to battle the IS-linked militants.

Mindanao has a large Muslim population in an otherwise predominantly Roman Catholic country and has been destabilised by separatist insurgencies for decades.

MILF cadres organised Sunday's ceasefire, which was to run from 8 a.m. until noon local time. They roamed the streets with loudspeakers urging residents to leave.

But by 9 a.m., gunfire had broken out, apparently deterring residents from joining a mass exodus.

Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra told reporters on Sunday morning he was expecting "more or less 1,000 plus to be rescued today". In the end, 134 were evacuated, less than previous days when there were no ceasefires. About 2,000 civilians remain in the city.

Irene Santiago, appointed by Duterte to organise the "peace corridor", said the effort had been a success as the fighting was several km (miles) away from where the evacuation occurred.

She said negotiations were continuing with the Maute for another temporary ceasefire on Monday. (Reporting by Tom Allard and Karen Lema; Editing by Mark Heinrich) </s> THOUSANDS of civilians hoping to flee fighting in the besieged Philippines city of Marawi remained trapped on Sunday after a four-hour ceasefire to evacuate residents was marred by gunfire.

Only 134 were freed on Sunday, less than on previous days, despite government hopes that more than 1,000 would be able to leave a city battered by 13 days of intense fighting.

Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte predicted the siege would be over within days despite fierce resistance by fighters aligned to Islamic State in the dense urban heart of the southern Philippines city.

“This will be over in about three more days,” Duterte said on Saturday after visiting a hospital in Cagayan de Oro where wounded soldiers were being treated.

“I will not hesitate to use every power available.”

SEE ALSO: Philippines general in charge of Marawi siege stood down

About 400 local militants reinforced by about 40 foreign fighters stormed Marawi on May 23, using sophisticated battlefield tactics to take control of large swaths of the lakeside city.

They have been pushed back to the city centre by Philippines forces over the past week after some 4,000 ground troops were bolstered by helicopters and aircraft deploying rockets and bombs.

Many residents have told Reuters that the airstrikes caused extensive property damage and dozens of civilian deaths. Authorities lifted the civilian death toll from 20 to 38 on Sunday – but said all those deaths were caused by militants.

A presidential spokesman said 120 militants had died, along with 38 government forces.

SEE ALSO: Indonesian security forces preparing against IS infiltration in wake of Marawi

Duterte said the use of air power had been restrained so far.

“I can end this war in 24 hours,” he said. “All I have to do is to bomb the whole place and level it to the ground.”

Duterte has asked the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), an Islamic separatist movement based on the Philippines island of Mindanao, to help negotiate a peace settlement with the Islamist fighters, who are predominantly drawn from the Maute Group based in and around Marawi.

Marawi, dubbed the “Islamic City of Marawi”, is also located on Mindanao, which has a large Muslim population in a predominantly Catholic country and been destabilised by separatist insurgencies for decades.

MILF cadres organised Sunday’s ceasefire, which was to run from 8am until noon. They roamed the streets with loud hailers urging residents to leave.

SEE ALSO: Philippine military airstrike misses rebel target, kills 10 govt troops instead

But by 9am, gunfire had broken out, apparently deterring residents from joining a mass exodus.

Marawi City’s mayor Majul Gandamra, told reporters on Sunday morning he was expecting “more or less 1,000 plus to be rescued today”. In the end, 134 were evacuated, less than previous days when there were no ceasefires. About 2,000 civilians remain in the city.

Irene Santiago, appointed by Duterte to organise the “peace corridor”, said the effort had been a success, noting the fighting was several kilometres away from where the evacuation took place.

She said negotiations were continuing with the Maute for another temporary ceasefire on Monday. – Reuters </s> MARAWI, Philippines: Two thousand fearful civilians were trapped on Sunday (May 28) inside a southern Philippine city where troops are battling Islamist militants, authorities said, as the death toll from almost a week of fighting neared 100.

The military intensified a bombing campaign on parts of Marawi on Mindanao island, one of the biggest Muslim cities in the mainly Catholic nation, as it accused the gunmen of atrocities including murdering women and a child.

The initial fighting prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law on Tuesday across the southern third of the Philippines to quell what he said was a fast-growing threat from terrorists linked to the Islamic State (IS) group.

Most of the city's 200,000 residents have fled because of the fighting, but 2,000 remain trapped in areas controlled by the militants, according to Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesman for the provincial crisis management committee.

"They have been sending us text messages, calling our hotline, requesting us to send rescue teams but we cannot simply go to areas which are inaccessible to us," Adiong told AFP.

"They want to leave. They are afraid for their safety. Some are running out of food to eat. They fear they will be hit by bullets, by airstrikes," he said.

The military announced on Saturday, the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, that it would step up the bombing.

"In as much as we would like to avoid collateral damage, these rebels are forcing the hand of government by hiding and holding out inside private homes, government buildings and other facilities," said military spokesman Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla.

"Their refusal to surrender is holding the city captive. Hence, it is now increasingly becoming necessary to use more surgical airstrikes to clear the city and to bring this rebellion to a quicker end."

, including three women and a child who were found dead near a university, regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herrera told AFP.

"These are civilians, women. These terrorists are anti-people," Herrera said.

An AFP photographer saw eight bodies dumped off a bridge on the outskirts of Marawi on Sunday, with local residents identifying them as employees of a rice mill and a medical college.

It was unclear whether those eight were included in the military's count of civilian deaths.

Fifteen soldiers, two policemen and 61 militants have died in the fighting, according to authorities. This brings the combined official death toll to at least 97.

The violence began when dozens of gunmen went on a rampage throughout Marawi in response to an attempt by security forces to arrest Isnilon Hapilon, a veteran Filipino militant regarded as the local leader of IS.

The United States regards Hapilon as one of the world's most dangerous terrorists and has offered a bounty of US$5 million for his capture.

The gunmen on Tuesday planted black IS flags, took a priest and up to 14 other people hostage from a church, and set fire to buildings. Authorities said Saturday the fate of those hostages remained unknown.

Duterte and military chiefs have said most of the militants belong to the local Maute group, which has declared allegiance to IS and which the government estimates has about 260 armed followers.

Duterte has said local criminals are also backing the Maute in Marawi.

Cooperation between Islamist militants, criminals and corrupt politicians is common across Mindanao, where a Muslim separatist rebellion has claimed more than 120,000 lives since the 1970s.

The main Muslim rebel groups have signed accords with the government aimed at forging a final peace, giving up their separatist ambitions in return for autonomy.

The Maute, Abu Sayyaf and other small hardline groups are not interested in negotiating and have in recent years looked to IS to help them.

Duterte said Saturday he was prepared to enforce martial law for as long as was necessary to end the terrorist threat, and even ignore constitutionally mandated safeguards such as Supreme Court and congressional oversight. </s> MARAWI, Philippines >> Philippine forces found corpses in the streets of a besieged southern city on Sunday, including at least eight civilians who appeared to have been executed, as soldiers battled a weakened but still forceful group of militants linked to the Islamic State group.

The death toll from six days of fighting neared 100.

The crisis in Marawi, home to some 200,000 people, has grown increasingly dire as the militants show unexpected strength, fending off a military that has unleashed attack helicopters, armored vehicles and scores of soldiers.

The violence prompted President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday to declare 60 days of martial law in the southern Philippines, where a Muslim separatist rebellion has raged for decades. But the recent bloodshed in Marawi has raised fears that extremism is growing as smaller militant groups unify and align themselves with the Islamic State group.

Much of the city is a no-go zone, but as the military advances and more civilians escape, the scope of the battle is becoming clear.

Thousands of civilians have streamed out of Marawi and more than 2,000 were still trapped inside the city. Many sent desperate text messages begging to be rescued and reporting that their homes had been destroyed, said Zia Alonto Adiong, an official in Lanao del Sur, one of the country’s poorest provinces.

“Have mercy on us, we don’t have any more water to drink,” read one of the messages, sent to a hotline set up for trapped residents.

The Associated Press was shown the messages by relief workers at a provincial government complex in Marawi. Another message asked authorities to retrieve three bodies that were rotting near a resident’s home.

Speaking at the evacuation center on Sunday, Saddat Liong said his house was hit by mortar fire and burned to the ground. Liong, his wife and eight children lost everything, he said — even their cooking pots.

“I feel that we’ve lost our city,” he said.

Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said that combat operations were still going on, but that the militants were weakening.

“We believe they’re now low on ammunition and food,” he said, speaking by phone from Manila, the capital. “Compared to the initial days, there has been increasingly less resistance from the militants within Marawi.”

Padilla said the bodies of four men, three women and a child were found near a road close to Mindanao State University in Marawi.

Eight other men were found gunned down and thrown into a shallow ravine early Sunday in Marawi’s Emi village, said police officer Jamail Mangadang. A paper sign attached to one of the men indicated that the victims had “betrayed their faith,” he said, identifying the men as civilians.

In addition to the civilian deaths, Padilla said 61 militants, 11 soldiers and four police were among the dead.

The violence erupted Tuesday night when the government launched a raid to capture Isnilon Hapilon, who is on Washington’s list of most-wanted terrorists. But the operation went awry and militants rampaged through the city, torching buildings and battling government forces in the streets.

A priest and several worshippers were taken hostage. There was no word on their condition.

Hapilon, an Islamic preacher, was once a commander of the Abu Sayyaf militant group who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in 2014. He now heads an alliance of at least 10 smaller militant groups, including the Maute, which has a heavy presence in Marawi and has been instrumental in fighting off government forces in the current battles.

All of the groups are inspired by the Islamic State group. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters that Hapilon has received funds from the Islamic State group.

Washington has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Hapilon’s capture. </s> MARAWI CITY—The military launched fresh airstrikes on Sunday to drive out terrorists linked to the Islamic State (IS) group after days of fighting left at least 19 corpses in the streets and hundreds of civilians begging for rescue from this besieged city in Lanao del Sur province.

The crisis inside Marawi City, home to some 200,000 people, has grown increasingly dire as the Maute group terrorists showed unexpected strength, fending off the Army and soldiers who went house-to-house in search of gunmen.

The violence, which began on Tuesday, prompted President Duterte to declare 60 days of martial law on all of Mindanao, where a Moro separatist rebellion has raged for decades.

But the recent violence has raised fears that extremism is growing as smaller bandit groups like the Abu Sayyaf and the Maute group unify and align themselves with IS.

Thousands of civilians have streamed out of Marawi and more than 2,000 remain trapped inside the city.

Many sent desperate text messages begging to be rescued and reporting that their homes had been destroyed, Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesperson for the provincial government, said on Sunday.

Adiong said the trapped civilians were in the battle zones.

“[We told them to] just go to the safest area and wait, wait and wait. Maybe in their house. Lock their doors. Do not let anyone enter your house and wait for us and we will come to you,” he said.

Adiong said local authorities were trying to get clearance from the military to go to the aid of the civilians.

He said there were reports that seven civilians were hit by shrapnel from a 105-mm howitzer round fired by the military on Friday.

Agakhan Sharief, known in the province as Bin Laden because of his resemblance to the late al-Qaida leader, told the Inquirer on Sunday that he had spoken to the Maute gunmen and was told that local officials could get the trapped civilians out provided they would not bring soldiers.

“[T]hey said you’re all welcome provided no intelligence and Christians,” said Sharief, who is helping the rescue efforts.

The violence erupted on Tuesday when the government launched a raid to capture Isnilon Hapilon, an Abu Sayyaf leader who has a $5-million prize on his head offered by the US government.

But the operation went awry and the terrorists rampaged through the city, torching buildings, planting IS flags and battling government forces in the streets.

A priest and several worshippers were taken hostage. There was no word about their condition on Sunday.

Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, spokesperson for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said combat operations were still going on but the terrorists were weakening.

“We believe they’re now low on ammunition and food. Compared to the initial days, there has been increasingly less resistance from the militants within Marawi,” Padilla said on Sunday, speaking to reporters in the military headquarters in Manila.

As the government retakes much of the city, the scope of the battle is becoming clearer.

Padilla said the bodies of four men, three women and a child were found near a road close to the Mindanao State University (MSU) campus in Marawi.

Eight other men were found gunned down and thrown in a shallow ravine early on Sunday in Marawi’s Emi village, police said.

The eight men, most of them shot in the head and some with hands tied behind their backs, were laborers who were stopped by the terrorists on the outskirts of the city while trying to flee clashes.

Nine spent bullet casings were found on a blood-stained patch of road at the top the ravine.

A paper sign attached to one of the men indicated the victims “betrayed their faith,” said PO3 Jamael Mangadang.

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s Humanitarian Emergency Action Response Team reported that 42,142 people have been evacuated as of 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Some 30,600 people are staying in different evacuation centers, while 11,500 others are staying with relatives outside Marawi City, the team reported on Sunday.

Most of the city’s residents have fled because of the fighting, which has seen the military heavily bomb residential areas where the terrorists were believed to be hiding.

The military announced on Saturday, the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, that it would intensify the bombing campaign.

At least 97 people have died in the fighting, according to Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, spokesperson for the 103rd Infantry Brigade (IB).

The dead included 19 civilians, 61 terrorists from the Maute and Abu Sayyaf groups, 13 soldiers and four policemen, he said.

Padilla said on Sunday that the military was trying to ascertain the identities of the eight civilians found near the MSU campus.

“This senseless killing is alarming because these are civilians—women and children—who were unarmed. Why did they have to be killed?” Padilla said.

“This development validates a series of reports of atrocities committed by the militants earlier,” he added.

Padilla announced the rescue of more than 100 civilians.

“[W]e helped get out more than 100 [civilians] who were trapped in their houses while we were conducting clearing operations as the fighting continued,” he said.

“According to them, there are still many trapped in their homes and so we will try to help them,” he said.

He added that the military had rescued 124 civilians since the start of the operations against the terrorists.

He said the military’s priority was to clear Marawi of terrorists so that life in the city could return to normal.

“Precision airstrikes and artillery fire will likewise continue at specific targets to hasten the clearing [operations],” he said.

The 103rd IB’s Herrera said the terrorists were being hit with surgical airstrikes.

“They occupied buildings. They have snipers to inflict casualties. We will push them out of the city,” he said. —WITH REPORTS FROM THE WIRES

Inquirer calls for support for the victims in Marawi City

Responding to appeals for help, the Philippine Daily Inquirer is extending its relief to victims of the attacks in Marawi City

Cash donations may be deposited in the Inquirer Foundation Corp. Banco De Oro (BDO) Current Account No: 007960018860.

Inquiries may be addressed to Inquirer’s Corporate Affairs office through Connie Kalagayan at 897-4426, ckalagayan@inquirer.com.ph and Bianca Kasilag-Macahilig at 897-8808 local 352, bkasilag@inquirer.com.ph.
Citizens remain trapped in Marawi, Philippines, after a ceasefire organised by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is broken. Up to 2,000 people remain in need of help after nearly two weeks without food.