'Hundred dead bodies' seen in besieged Marawi

A Philippines politician said residents fleeing besieged 
Marawi City have seen about 100 dead bodies in an area where the army and ISIL-linked fighters have clashed in the last three weeks.

Zia Alonto Adiong, a local politician who is helping with 
relief efforts in Marawi, told reporters on Thursday that 
500-1,000 people were still trapped in the city, located on the southern island of Mindanao.

"Dead bodies, at least 100, are scattered around the
encounter area," Adiong said.

Volunteers have been trying to extricate hundreds of 
civilians caught in the crossfire via "peace corridors", 
Adiong said, but many of those trapped were still opting 
to hide rather than risk being discovered by the fighters.

Most residents, however, have run out of food and water,
Adiong added.

residents who initially fled and wanted to return to the 
city were being stopped by military forces.

"Martial law is being imposed here and across the 
entire island of Mindanao. Anyone is subject to investigation, even children," Alindogan said.

The black flags of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL, also known as ISIS) were flying over several 
government buildings in Marawi City, she added. "I lived 
here since  I was 12," said Elvira Sacot, who was forced 
to flee Marawi.

"It hurts me to leave everything behind.

But it is more painful to stay. I don't think I'm coming 
back."

Meanwhile, a senior member of the ISIL-linked group 
was arrested by the military near the coastal city of 
Cagayan de Oro, some 100km north of Marawi.

According to military spokesperson Jo-Ar Herrera, 
one  of the seven Maute brothers, Mohammad Noaim 
Maute, was arrested at a checkpoint just after dawn.

The Maute group, led by two of Mohammad's brothers, 
has been at the forefront of the vicious battle with 
security forces for Marawi City since May 23.

Mohammad, an Arabic language teacher, is the 
suspected bomb-maker for the group. He was holding 
a fake student card of the Marawi-based Mindano State University when stopped at a checkpoint.

Most of the Muate brothers are believed to be in 
Marawi. Their parents have been taken into custody 
last week in separate cities.

The military said 290 people have died in over three 
weeks of fighting, including 206 fighters, 58 soldiers 
and 26 civilians.

The city of 200,000 has been largely abandoned due 
to the fighting, which has seen the military relentlessly 
bomb areas held by the fighters, with residents fleeing to nearby towns.