“Our troops are really fighting hard,” Brawner said.
He said ISIS-Maute gunmen who are fighting at the edge of Lake Lanao, are using women and children hostages as combatants in their last defensive stand.
Brawner said the hostages are also used as baits to draw the fire from government troops.
Brawner said this information came from the young female hostage when she was interviewed by her rescuers.
He said there are an estimated 100 non-combatants with the ISIS-Maute terrorists — about 40 hostages and 60 family members of the terrorists. Last Monday, Galvez said there were 31 hostages — 12 children, 16 women and three men — and “31 or 33” Maute dependents.[]
Brawner said the presence of so many non-combatants complicates the operations against the terrorists.[]