Maute sniper kills Marawi civilian about to be rescued

A civilian was shot dead by terrorist snipers as he was being rescued by government forces in Marawi City on Saturday.

Soldiers and workers from the provincial capitol and non-government organizations had been conducting rescue operations in two separate areas in the city amid the ongoing clashes between government troops and terrorist Maute group.

The civilian was about to approach the rescuers when he was killed.

"That terrorist sniper has no heart, we just want to live. He killed a helpless civilian," one of the rescued residents said.

At least 182 individuals trapped in Marawi City have been rescued early Saturday morning, while the number of civilians killed by the Maute group has now reached 20.

Brig. Gen. Rolando Joselito Bautista, commander of Task Force Marawi, condemned the killing of 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 every one 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," he said.

The extremist group have already suffered 120 fatalities, while 38 soldiers have been killed in action during the ongoing crisis in Marawi. — Jessica Bartolome/MDM, GMA News