The Armed Forces of the Philippines found the bodies of what appeared to be eight executed civilians as authorities launched fresh airstrikes Sunday to drive militants linked to the Islamic State group out of a besieged southern city. The death toll from six days of fighting neared 100.
The crisis in Marawi, home to some 200,000 people, has grown increasingly dire as the militants show unexpected tenacity, fending off a military that has unleashed attack helicopters, armored vehicles and scores of soldiers.
The violence prompted President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday to declare 60 days of martial law in Mindanao, where a Muslim separatist rebellion has raged for decades. But the recent bloodshed in Marawi has raised fears that extremism is growing as smaller militant groups unify and align themselves with the Islamic State group.
Much of the city is a no-go zone, but as the military advances and more civilians escape, the scope of the battle is becoming clear.