What is 'cut off' here?
'Of course we shot her.'
'And the murders stopped?' asked Corell.
'No, the murders did not stop. And when we finally retreated, the people cut off stragglers and they burned some and they gounged the eyes from some, and some they even crucified.'

Question

Answer

Means to intercept the stragglers, separating and preventing them from catching up with the main force and then inflict some harm on them.

Answer

They isolated the stragglers from the main group of people.