Boys play basketball on deserted street in besieged Marawi 

Maybe in an attempt to bring back normalcy in their lives, some children in Marawi City find a way to still play basketball amid the sounds of gunfire as government troops continue to fight the Maute group in the besieged city.

A photo posted by GMA News' Raffy Tima showed four children playing basketball in the middle of a deserted street somewhere in Marawi City.

At the background, a small store was open.

In his post, Tima said the boys would stop playing when they hear gunshots.

In a separate post by Tima, gunshots can be heard away from the war zone in the city.

On Friday, a total of 13 Marines attempting to enter a stronghold of the Maute group were killed in a 16-hour encounter.

At least 40 other Marines were hurt in the gunfight.

Several areas in Marawi have been destroyed by the ongoing operations against the Maute group, whose members attacked the city on May 23, prompting President Rodrigo Duterte's martial law declaration in Mindanao.

A total of 58 soldiers and policemen and 138 Maute group members have been killed in the ongoing conflict. Twenty-one civilians have also been killed by the local terrorists, the military said.

Authorities said at least 1,000 civilians are still trapped in the war zone while more than 1,500 have been rescued.

The regional government said 35,000 families have been displaced due to the conflict. —ALG, GMA News