Duterte tells troops not to worry if they kill civilians and to ‘shoot anyone with a gun’ as he battles to reclaim Philippines city from ISIS control

‘Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has assured troops that he will protect them from any legal action if they accidentally kill civilians while battling militants who have besieged a southern city.
Duterte ordered the army to destroy the militants aligned with the Islamic State group who attacked Marawi on May 23, sparking a bloody battle that has left more than 400 combatants and civilians dead.
On Wednesday, retrieval teams recovered 17 more bodies believed to be those of villagers killed by the militants in an area of Marawi that has returned to government control.
In a speech on live TV, Duterte said troops do not intend to kill civilians, but they should ‘not hesitate to engage just because there are civilians’.’
Read more: Duterte tells troops not to worry if they kill civilians and to ‘shoot anyone with a gun’ as he battles to reclaim Philippines city from ISIS control