US Hospital Ship Out Of Mindanao After Attack On Copter

A photo released to the Mindanao Examiner by the US Embassy on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 shows the USNS Mercy hospital ship followed by a smaller vessel and a helicopter.

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / June 11, 2008) – A US medical mission in the southern Philippines was halted after an attack on one of its helicopter while ferrying patients near Cotabato City.

The American Embassy in Manila on Wednesday confirmed the attack, a day after the US Navy announced it suspended the humanitarian mission of the USNS Mercy hospital ship in the southern Philippines.

“On June 9, while on a routine flight supporting the humanitarian assistance efforts, one of Mercy’s four MH-60S Knight Hawk support helicopters sustained damage from what appears to be a bullet. As a consequence, the aircraft is currently out of service while the cause of the damage is investigated. The grounding resulted in the cancellation of one medical assistance activity June 10,” the US Embassy said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.

The helicopter returned to deck with two bullet holes in the tail rotor. The crew had been unaware of the bullet strikes during the flight. The attack on the aircraft prompted the USNS Mercy to suspend humanitarian operations, the US Navy said.

"The holes appear to be an entry and exit point from a single bullet," said Cmdr. Jeff A. Davis, a US Navy spokesman.

There were no reports of injuries and the US Navy did not know when the shots were fired at the helicopter which returned to the ship after picking up 11 passengers from a site 50 miles near Cotabato City.

The US Embassy said the hospital ship will leave Cotabato and sail to Samar province in the central Philippines on Thursday for a series of medical missions and then to Manila by Sunday.

No groups or individuals claimed responsibility for the attack, but several rebel groups, such as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and New People's Army, are operating in Mindanao.

The MILF on Tuesday condemned the attack and said it would investigate the incident. "We condemn the attack. The helicopter is on a humanitarian mission benefiting thousands of Muslims, including MILF patients and we will help authorities determine who is behind the attack on the helicopter," Eid Kabalu, a rebel spokesman, said in an interview.

He said many armed groups are operating in areas where the USNS Mercy is holding humanitarian missions.

The USNS Mercy, which arrived May 29, is on a two-week medical mission in the restive southern region of Mindanao, where where Filipino troops are battling Abu Sayyaf militants and communist insurgents. Both groups have previously attacked US targets in the southern Philippines.

The USNS Mercy has already conducted more than 311 medical procedures aboard ship, including surgery, optometry screenings, burn care, preventative medicine, and dental screenings and treatment.

Teams of US and Philippine medical practitioners and volunteers have also provided free medical treatment to almost 10,000 patients and free dental care to more than 2,000 people, including free veterinary care to some 2,000 animals.

Engineering teams from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the US military have completed renovation of two health clinics, in Broce and in Datu Piang town in Maguindanao.

It was the first time the USNS Mercy sailed to Mindanao. In June 2006, the 272-meter-long hospital ship also held a month-long series of medical missions in Zamboanga City, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi provinces.

The USNS Mercy was also in the Philippines in 1986 during a humanitarian mission. (With reports from Mark Navales)