Philippines fighting: Eight militants surrender to government forces

Eight members of the ISIL-linked Maute terror group have surrendered to government troops, according to the Philippine military.

"There were eight members holed up in Marawi who surrendered to the forces," confirmed Brigadier General Restituto Padilla, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson, during a news briefing on Wednesday.

"These individuals have been talked to and debriefed and have provided very, very valuable intelligence," said Padilla.

The eight militants were part of the wider attack on Marawi City, and surrendered on Sunday. They were the first fighters to give themselves up since the clash began on May 23.

Padilla urged remaining militants to surrender, saying "not surrendering will mean their sure death." He also assured there were no civilian casualties during government air strikes.

So far, the Marawi crisis has caused 129 deaths, including 89 Maute group members, 19 civilians and 21 police and government forces.

(CGTN)