Troops told to shoot gun-toting hostages

Philippine soldiers patrol a deserted neighbourhood in Marawi on May 26, 2017. -AFP filepic

MARAWI CITY: Government troops have been given the go-signal to target hostages forced into carrying firearms by terrorists still holed up in this predominantly Muslim city to defend themselves, according to a ranking officer overseeing the military’s fight to finish the terrorists off.

Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., deputy commander of Joint Task Force Ranao, said hostages who were forced to shoot at soldiers were now considered combatants along with their captors.