MANILA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Militants allied with the Islamic State have killed five civilians as security forces continued their siege of Marawi city in the southern Philippines, bringing the total number of killed civilians to 26.
President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman Ernesto Abella told a news conference Tuesday that the Maute terrorists shot dead the five still unidentified civilians who tried to escape Monday morning. He said eight more civilians were captured by the militants.
Quoting a military report, Abella said the terrorists knocked on the door of a house where 18 trapped civilians were staying, prompting the civilians to run away using the back door.
"The terrorists ran after them and indiscriminately fired at them, killing five of the civilians and taking eight as hostages," Abella said.
He said five civilians managed to escape and were then given food, medical help and processed by the military and local officials.
Abella said that 1,618 civilians have so far been rescued since the fighting started on May 23.
As many as 1,000 civilians are believed to be still trapped or held as hostages three weeks after 500 or more fully-armed militants overran the city of more than 200,000 people.
Quoting military sources, local media reported that militants still control about 20 percent of Marawi city in Lanao del Sur.
The militants belonging to the Maute and Abu Sayyaf groups occupied the city on May 23. So far 58 soldiers and policemen have been killed in the fighting and more than 200 militants were dead, according to the military.
