UPDATE 2 - 5 missing Philippine police rescued amid clashes

UPDATES WITH DETAIL ON STATEMENT ON MOSQUES

By Roy Ramos and Hader Glang

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (AA) - Troops will soon begin targeting mosques being used by Daesh-linked militants who have held out for the last three weeks, the Philippine military said Tuesday.

Fighters from Abu Sayyaf and the Maute group have withstood government attempts to retake Marawi City on the southern island of Mindanao since May 23, partly through strongholds centered on mosques.

Lt. Col. Jo-Ar Herrera, the spokesman for Joint Task Force Marawi, told broadcaster the mosques would be targeted to save the lives of soldiers and civilians trapped in the city.

“They are using the mosques,” he said. “The sacredness is gone as the Maute used these in their military activities. As you can see they are making these their logistical hub and snipers’ nest.”

He added: “Those identified enemy battle positions, they are targeted for surgical airstrikes so that we can gain foothold. That’s the development on the ground so that our men can advance in the inner heart of Marawi.”

Under the Geneva Conventions, places of worship are protected in combat zones but can be targeted if there is a military necessity.

Militants have utilized the mosques in Marawi City to stockpile weapons and target troops with sniper fire.

The government said Tuesday that the militants controlled 20 percent of the city. Last week, it was estimated that they controlled 10 percent.

Five of 70 Philippine police officers reported missing since clashes broke out in Marawi City last month have been rescued, military spokesman Col. Edgard Arevalo said.

He said the officers and five civilians were freed in a rescue operation.

The police had been holed up in Banggolo near the stronghold of the Maute group, after running out of ammunition, according to a report from local broadcaster DZBB.

- Civilians killed

Earlier, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao director Chief Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac said dozens of missing police officers were still unaccounted for and being sought.

Sindac said they were trying to get in contact with around 65 more police officers assigned from Lanao del Sur and Marawi City. “We could not reach them, so they remain unaccounted for to date," he added.

However, he said there were no indications those who remained unaccounted for had been killed or taken hostage by the Maute or Abu Sayyaf groups since violence in Marawi broke out on May 23.

"We do not want to speculate, we hope they come out soon,” Sindac said.

Families of some of the missing officers confirmed to local reporters covering the Marawi crisis that they have lost contact with them.

According to Arevalo, the rescued officers will undergo questioning before being transferred for medical checks.

The military said 138 militants had been killed in the ongoing conflict while 21 civilians had fallen victim to the Maute group.

On Saturday, the military said 13 marines had been killed in a 16-hour clash in Barangay Lilod Madaya. These deaths brought the number of fatalities for the security forces to nearly 60.

Meanwhile, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said five civilians had been killed by terrorists in Marawi City. He put the total number of civilian deaths at 31.

Abella told DZBB that 13 other civilians had escaped when terrorists barged into a house in the city.

Around 1,000 residents are believed to be still trapped in the city, hampering the efforts of troops to flush out the remaining militants.