By Jong Cadion
PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur (June 5, 2017) - A total of 182
individuals trapped in the ongoing crisis in Marawi City were rescued Saturday
(June 3) early morning by soldiers and combined workers from the Provincial
capitol and Non Govt Oranizations in two separate areas in the city while a
civilian who is about to be rescued was shot dead by enemy snipers as he was
about to approach government troops, military official said.
This brings the total number of rescued civilians to 1,236 while
civilians confirmed killed by the Maute-Daesh inspired local terrorist group
goes up to 20.
Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) information officer Cpt Jo-Ann D.
Petinglay disclosed that rescued civilians said they have to endure hunger,
thirst and sleepless nights as they feared for their
lives. One of the trapped civilians who refused to be named speaking in the
vernacular said, "We cant get out, we are afraid of the terrorists who
might see and kill us. They killed civilians, even their fellow Maranao who
cannot recite the prayer or even the Shahada, with even one wrong word. Do they
expect someone to recite the prayer while they poked guns at you?"
"That terrorist sniper has no heart, we just want to live. He
killed a helpless civilian" the rescued resident said in tears.
It may be recalled that a number of unarmed civilians were killed by the
group in their rampage disregarding whether they were women, children and
elderly in Marawi City, Cpt. Petinglay added.
LtGen. Carlito Galvez, commander of Western Mindanao Command said
"It is the commitment of our troops to exert every effort to rescue all
those trapped in Marawi as we clear the city street by street, building by
building, room by room and inch by inch in order to neutralize all armed
threats so that peace will reign in Marawi again".
"We hope for the early resolution of this conflict the soonest time
possible so that our people in Marawi can go back to their homes and live a
normal life again" LtGen. Galvez added.
Brig. Gen. Rolando Joselito Bautista, commander of Task Force Marawi
condemned the Maute-Daesh inspired group for killing the trapped civilian while
in the process of being rescued. "This shows the blatant disregard of this
group for the life of innocent people, the people of Marawi. They attacked the
City and put the lives of everyone in Marawi in grave danger including women,
children and the elderly. It is the people of Marawi who suffered because of
their evil un-islamic deeds" Brig. Gen. Bautista said.
"We call on our people to stand and unite against terrorism. The
fight against terrorism is not the sole duty of the security sector but the
responsibility of everyone" Brig. Gen. Bautista adds.
The AFP tallied 120 terrorists killed, 42 bodies were recovered so far
and the rest were confirmed by eyewitnesses while nine recently surrendered.
Recovered firearms stand at 98 high firearms of various calibers recovered by
troops.
Government forces suffered 38 killed in action and numerous wounded in
action in the continuing efforts to free the city from terror elements.
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