Gunmen attack army troops in North Cotabato

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 11, 2010) – Gunmen attacked Thursday government troops working on infrastructure projects in the restive region of Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines, officials said.

Officials said the gunmen fired two rounds of grenades toward the camp of army soldiers who were working on a government school in the village of Gocotan in North Cotabato’s Pikit town.

No soldiers were injured or killed in the attack which occurred before dawn and the army said it would continue working on the project. The school was burned last month by unidentified men.

The soldiers were part of the Task Force Bigkis Lahi of the engineering platoon which was recently organized by the 6th Infantry Division to undertake developmental programs and provides security operations in the troubled Muslim autonomous region, according to army spokesman Captain Razaleigh Bansawan.

“The attack will not hamper the military’s peace and development efforts in the province,” he said.

No individual or group claimed responsibility for the attack, but Moro rebels are actively operating in the province and had been previously blamed by the military as behind similar attacks. (Mindanao Examiner)