The Philippine military says troops have recovered 22 bodies of suspected Muslim extremists and dozens of bombs from two buildings which were retaken in one of the final government assaults to end an Islamic State group-inspired siege in southern Marawi city.
Maj. Gen. Restituto Padilla says troops overcame days of militant sniper and grenade fire before they took back control of the buildings Tuesday and found the bodies along with eight rifles and "dozens and dozens of improvised explosive devices."
Padilla said today it is possible that some of the leaders of the siege, which has dragged on for more than four months, were among the 22 slain men. Police forensic investigators are trying to identify the bodies, which include a foreign-looking man.
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