Midnight rescue: Soldiers free 17 Maute hostages

A government soldier enters a house previously occupied by Islamic State (ISIS) followers in Marawi, where soldiers rescued 17 hostages near midnight Sunday. INQUIRER FILE / JEOFFREY MAITEM

MARAWI CITY – Soldiers battling ISIS-inspired militants here rescued 17 hostages – including women and children – towards midnight Sunday.

Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., the deputy commander of the Joint Task Force Ranao, said on Monday that the rescued hostages were still resting and would soon be processed by the police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

“We haven’t asked them anything yet so they could rest first,” Brawner said.

The rescue came as soldiers continued their push into the shrinking area being held by the militants.

Brawner could not say how many hostages remained in the hands of the gunmen.

The fresh rescue brought to 38 the total number of hostages plucked out of the war zone this month alone. /cbb