Two soldiers hurt after armed men harass Army detachment in Maguindanao

By Ronron
January 15, 2008

Two government soldiers were hurt after their detachment was fired upon by armed men before dawn Tuesday in Maguindanao province, a military spokesman said.

According to Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, spokesman of the Philippine Army’s 6th Infantry Division, some 15 unknown armed men fired upon the detachment of the Army’s 64th Infantry Battalion – Bravo Company in Barangay Bagan, Guindulungan town at around 2:30 am yesterday.

Ando said the identities or affiliation of the attackers were not immediately known, although he pointed out that said area is occupied by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters.

Ando said Army personnel at the detachment, numbering to about 20, fired back at the suspects, ensuing a 45-minute exchange of gunfire.

The suspects, he said, used rocket-propelled grenades and other high-powered firearms that hurt Corporal Pilar and Private First Class Reporte. Both were immediately brought to the Camp Siongco Station Hospital in Barangay Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Shariff Kabunsuan province for medical treatment.

Casualties on the side of the perpetrators are undetermined, said Ando.

“The moment we find out who are those perpetrators, we will take appropriate action. They should be made answerable,” he said.

If the suspects are from the MILF, then they will file the complaint before the ceasefire committee. If not, the complaint can be filed before the police.

Ando noted though that there have been no fighting between government troops and the MILF in the last 10 months.

“We are really showing them that we are sincere in the peace process. In fact, we have been conducting peace-building seminars among our troops to avoid conflict with the MILF,” Ando said.

The peace talks between the government and the MILF was stalled in December last year after the latter opposed to the Constitutional process that were included in the provisions for the ancestral domain agreement proposal./DMS