Philippines says beheaded civilians found in rebel-held town

Philippines army soldiers return from an operation to retrieve bodies of casualties from the fighting zone in Marawi City, Philippines June 28, 2017. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

MARAWI CITY, Philippines (Reuters) - Five decapitated civilians were found in a Philippine city occupied by Islamist rebels on Wednesday, the military said, warning the number of residents killed by rebel "atrocities" could rise sharply as troops retake more ground.

The discovery of the five victims among 17 bodies retrieved would be the first evidence that civilians trapped in besieged Marawi City have been decapitated during the five-week stand by militants loyal to the Islamic State group, as some who escaped the city have previously reported.