BASILAN, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / June 23, 2010) – Four people were killed and six others injured when gunmen opened fire on a public transport on Wednesday in the restive province of Basilan, police told the Mindanao Examiner.
Police said military forces were sent to track down more than two dozen hooded gunmen who were behind the ambush in Maluso town. “We still don’t know who were behind the attack, but military forces were sent to pursue the ambushers,” said Senior Superintendent Antonio Mendoza, the provincial police chief.
He said the gunmen fled after the ambush and no group claimed responsibility for the attack. The town, he said, is a known lair of Abu Sayyaf and Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels blamed for past attacks on civilian and military targets.
“Most of those killed and wounded are civilians,” Mendoza said.
Just early this month, Abu Sayyaf militants killed three men they kidnapped in Basilan’s Sumisip town after their families failed to pay P3 million ransoms.
The trio - Claudio Mananita, Rolando Francisco and Dariel Quintella – were kidnapped on May 27 by Abu Sayyaf gunmen headed by Puruji Indama. Their bodies were discovered by civilians on June 5 in Sukaten village.
Indama’s group was also behind many kidnappings in Zamboanga City and Basilan last year and tagged as behind the series of attacks on government troops in the province.
In April, two government soldiers were wounded in a clash with the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan’s Sumisip town after militants detonated bombs in Isabela City, the provincial capital, and sprayed automatic gunfire on fleeing villagers that left dozens of people dead and wounded. (Mindanao Examiner)
Showing posts with label Ambush. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ambush. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
4 killed in Basilan ambush
Monday, January 18, 2010
2 cops wounded in Zamboanga City ambush
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / January 18, 2010) – Gunmen attacked two policemen in a coastal village in the southern Filipino port city of Zamboanga, officials said Monday.
The weekend attack wounded the policemen in Mampang village. The victims were heading home on a motorcycle when gunmen opened fire at them, said Senior Superintendent Edwin de Ocampo, chief of the local police force.
No group or individual claimed responsibility for the attack and police said it is still investigating the ambush.
On Saturday, gunmen also opened fire on a bus in Zamboanga City’s Licomo village, wounding 12 passengers. The attack was blamed to Moro rebels.
The bus was enroute to Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur province when it was strafed by gunmen. (Mindanao Examiner)
Monday, August 31, 2009
4 soldiers killed, 6 more wounded in rebel ambush in South RP
DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 31, 2009) – Four government soldiers were killed in an ambush by communist rebels in the restive region of the southern Philippines.
The weekend attack also left six soldiers wounded in the village of Dalagdag in Davao City’s Calinan district, said New People’s Army rebel leader Leoncio Pitao.
Pitao said rebel forces also seized a machine gun from the soldiers belonging to the Army’s 69th Infantry Battalion.
“This recent NPA military offensive against the newly augmented 69th Infantry Battalion and the 10th Infantry Division fascists is a punitive action for the serious violations to human rights and international humanitarian law perpetrated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines against civilians in Davao hinterlands and provinces in Southern Mindanao,” said Pitao, who heads the NPA’s 1st Pulang Bagani Company.
He said the NPA continues to inflict heavy casualties on the military, despite the massive deployment of troops and militarization in the provinces.
“That the 10th Infantry Division-Armed Forces of the Philippines troops suffered heavy blows versus the people's army, despite the increasing number of its soldiers, nakedly shows the failure of the counter-revolutionary Oplan Bantay Laya II. It has utterly failed to stem the tide of the growing revolutionary movement in the face of intensive and extensive NPA tactical offensives in the region and elsewhere in the country,” Pitao said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.
There was no immediate statement from the military about the ambush.
The NPA is the armed wing of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines which has been waging a secessionist war the past four decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. Peace talks collapsed in 2004 after rebel leaders accused the Arroyo government of reneging on a deal, among others, that will free political detainees and stop extrajudicial killings of activists in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
Friday, July 31, 2009
State worker killed in North Cotabato ambush
NORTH COTABATO, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 31, 2009) – Unidentified gunmen attacked and killed a worker of the state-owned irrigation project in the town of Carmen in North Cotabato province in the southern Philippines.
At least two gunmen were involved in the attack the killed the 44-year old worker of the Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project of the National Irrigation Administration.
The victim was on his way home on a motorcycle when gunmen ambushed him Thursday evening in the village of Ugalingan. The victim came from Cotabato City where he followed up his salary loan.
Police said the man sustained gunshot wounds in the body. (Taher Solaiman)
At least two gunmen were involved in the attack the killed the 44-year old worker of the Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project of the National Irrigation Administration.
The victim was on his way home on a motorcycle when gunmen ambushed him Thursday evening in the village of Ugalingan. The victim came from Cotabato City where he followed up his salary loan.
Police said the man sustained gunshot wounds in the body. (Taher Solaiman)
Friday, July 17, 2009
NPA rebels ambush troops in Mindanao
ILIGAN CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 17, 2009) – The Philippine military on Friday said communist insurgents attacked an army patrol, killing a soldier and wounding six more in the restive southern region of Mindanao.
The military said the soldiers were ambushed on Thursday near the village of Fortuna village in Impasug-ong town. The attack occurred after Manila announced it was resuming stalled peace talks with the New People’s Army rebels next month.
The talks collapsed in 2004 after both sides failed to sign a peace deal that would end more than four decades of bloody fighting.
The military has repeatedly said it would crush communist insurgency before President Gloria Arroyo ends her term next year. But the NPA just laughed off the claims, saying rebel forces are winning the war in the countryside.
“The persistent prating of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that it can crush the NPA before Gloria Arroyo's term ends is nothing but mantra parroted by its lower commands to supposedly show to their master Gloria Arroyo their victories in the battlefields thereby obtaining the much sought promotions and the needed budget for more corruption.”
“The NPA has launched more or less one tactical offensive daily nationwide. Further adding up to its strength is the regime's elimination of distinction between the legal and progressive forces to that of the armed movement as all enemies of state goading the former to adapt a guerrilla-style of work to dodge the dreaded death squads of the fascist state,” the rebel group said. (Mindanao Examiner)
The military said the soldiers were ambushed on Thursday near the village of Fortuna village in Impasug-ong town. The attack occurred after Manila announced it was resuming stalled peace talks with the New People’s Army rebels next month.
The talks collapsed in 2004 after both sides failed to sign a peace deal that would end more than four decades of bloody fighting.
The military has repeatedly said it would crush communist insurgency before President Gloria Arroyo ends her term next year. But the NPA just laughed off the claims, saying rebel forces are winning the war in the countryside.
“The persistent prating of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that it can crush the NPA before Gloria Arroyo's term ends is nothing but mantra parroted by its lower commands to supposedly show to their master Gloria Arroyo their victories in the battlefields thereby obtaining the much sought promotions and the needed budget for more corruption.”
“The NPA has launched more or less one tactical offensive daily nationwide. Further adding up to its strength is the regime's elimination of distinction between the legal and progressive forces to that of the armed movement as all enemies of state goading the former to adapt a guerrilla-style of work to dodge the dreaded death squads of the fascist state,” the rebel group said. (Mindanao Examiner)
Sunday, July 12, 2009
NPA rebels ambush army truck in South RP
DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 12, 2009) – Communist rebels ambushed an army truck ahead of ahead of a scheduled peace talks and killed a soldier and wounded three more in the southern Philippine province of Davao Oriental, officials said on Sunday.
Officials said some 30 New People’s Army rebels opened fire on the government soldiers after a roadside bombing in the village of Pintatagan in the town of Banay-Banay.
The attack occurred on Saturday afternoon hours after rebels also toppled three electrical poles in the village, said Captain Rosa Maria Cristina Manuel, a spokeswoman for the Army’s 10th Infantry Division.
“One soldier was killed and three others were wounded in the ambush,” she told the Mindanao Examiner. She said the truck was transporting more than a dozen soldiers.
She said the soldiers, members of the 2nd Light Armor Brigade, were on their way to secure government projects in the town when the rebels ambushed their truck.
“The troops were supposed to replace the personnel tasked to secure the construction of government projects when a pressurized landmine hit their vehicle,” Manuel said.
Troops, who were sent to rescue the soldiers, also clashed with the ambushers and the fighting lasted more than 20 minutes. She said the rebels briefly seized an undetermined number of civilians in the neighboring village of Puntalinao and used them as shield against pursuing soldiers.
Manuel said Colonel Romeo Calizo, commander of Army’s 1001st Infantry Brigade, has ordered troops to track down the rebels. “The rebels cannot face the soldiers squarely. They inhumanely used the civilians as shields for their escape and this is a gross disrespect to Human Rights and a violation of the International Humanitarian Law,” she said, quoting Calizo.
“Likewise, the Philippines is a signatory to the Ottawa Convention banning the use of landmines and under the United Nations’ Law on Armed Conflict, the uses of landmines are banned under article 809,” Calizo added.
Manila said it would resume stalled peace talks with communist rebels next month after negotiations collapsed in 2004. The NPA is fighting the past four decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
Officials said some 30 New People’s Army rebels opened fire on the government soldiers after a roadside bombing in the village of Pintatagan in the town of Banay-Banay.
The attack occurred on Saturday afternoon hours after rebels also toppled three electrical poles in the village, said Captain Rosa Maria Cristina Manuel, a spokeswoman for the Army’s 10th Infantry Division.
“One soldier was killed and three others were wounded in the ambush,” she told the Mindanao Examiner. She said the truck was transporting more than a dozen soldiers.
She said the soldiers, members of the 2nd Light Armor Brigade, were on their way to secure government projects in the town when the rebels ambushed their truck.
“The troops were supposed to replace the personnel tasked to secure the construction of government projects when a pressurized landmine hit their vehicle,” Manuel said.
Troops, who were sent to rescue the soldiers, also clashed with the ambushers and the fighting lasted more than 20 minutes. She said the rebels briefly seized an undetermined number of civilians in the neighboring village of Puntalinao and used them as shield against pursuing soldiers.
Manuel said Colonel Romeo Calizo, commander of Army’s 1001st Infantry Brigade, has ordered troops to track down the rebels. “The rebels cannot face the soldiers squarely. They inhumanely used the civilians as shields for their escape and this is a gross disrespect to Human Rights and a violation of the International Humanitarian Law,” she said, quoting Calizo.
“Likewise, the Philippines is a signatory to the Ottawa Convention banning the use of landmines and under the United Nations’ Law on Armed Conflict, the uses of landmines are banned under article 809,” Calizo added.
Manila said it would resume stalled peace talks with communist rebels next month after negotiations collapsed in 2004. The NPA is fighting the past four decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
Sunday, June 28, 2009
7 cops killed in Basilan ambush
BASILAN, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / June 28, 2009) – Gunmen ambushed a police patrol on Sunday and killing seven on a remote village in the troubled province of Basilan in the southern Philippines, officials said.
Senior Superintendent Salik Macapantar, the Basilan police chief, said one civilian informant was also injured in the attack that occurred at around 2 p.m. in the village of Lower Benengbengan in Sumisip town.
He said among those killed in the ambush was a police officer of the 1520th Provincial Mobile Group.
“Seven of my brave policemen were killed in the ambush. One civilian who is helping us in intelligence was also wounded in the attack. There is an operation going on. We are tracking down the ambushers,” Macapantar told the Mindanao Examiner.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Macapantar said either the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group or Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels could be behind it.
“We still do not know who were behind the attack – it could be the Abu Sayyaf or Moro rebels,” he said.
On Saturday, unidentified gunmen also killed two soldiers in an attack just outside an army camp in Tipo-Tipo town near Sumisip.
The two had just bought a cigarette from a store outside their camp when gunmen attacked them. The soldiers were members of the 55th Engineering Brigade deployed in Basilan to repair dilapidated schools. (Mindanao Examiner)
Senior Superintendent Salik Macapantar, the Basilan police chief, said one civilian informant was also injured in the attack that occurred at around 2 p.m. in the village of Lower Benengbengan in Sumisip town.
He said among those killed in the ambush was a police officer of the 1520th Provincial Mobile Group.
“Seven of my brave policemen were killed in the ambush. One civilian who is helping us in intelligence was also wounded in the attack. There is an operation going on. We are tracking down the ambushers,” Macapantar told the Mindanao Examiner.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Macapantar said either the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group or Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels could be behind it.
“We still do not know who were behind the attack – it could be the Abu Sayyaf or Moro rebels,” he said.
On Saturday, unidentified gunmen also killed two soldiers in an attack just outside an army camp in Tipo-Tipo town near Sumisip.
The two had just bought a cigarette from a store outside their camp when gunmen attacked them. The soldiers were members of the 55th Engineering Brigade deployed in Basilan to repair dilapidated schools. (Mindanao Examiner)
2 soldiers killed outside army base in Basilan province
ISABELA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / June 28, 2009) – Unidentified gunmen killed two soldiers in an attack just outside an army camp in the restive province Basilan in the southern Philippines, officials said.
Officials said two had just bought a cigarette from a store outside their camp in Tipo-Tipo town when gunmen attacked them late Saturday.
“We are still investigating the attack. We don’t know who were behind the attack,” First Lieutenant Steffani Cacho, a regional military spokeswoman, told the Mindanao Examiner.
Cacho did not release the soldiers’ names or say if they were armed or not at the time of the attack. She said the victims were members of the 55th Engineering Brigade deployed in Basilan to repair dilapidated schools.
But police identified the slain soldiers as Technical Sergeant Luciano Abcede and Private First Class Danny Salian.
“We have sent police forces to hunt down the attackers. We don’t know the motive of the killings. Investigation is going on,” said Senior Superintendent Salik Macapantar, the provincial police chief.
Tipo-Tipo is a known lair of Moro rebels blamed for many attacks on security forces. US troops are also deployed in Basilan and helping local soldiers in various humanitarian missions. It was not immediately known whether American forces are also deployed in Tipo-Tipo.
Basilan is one of five provinces under the Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao and a stronghold of various rebel groups, including the most violent al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf and the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front. (Mindanao Examiner)
Officials said two had just bought a cigarette from a store outside their camp in Tipo-Tipo town when gunmen attacked them late Saturday.
“We are still investigating the attack. We don’t know who were behind the attack,” First Lieutenant Steffani Cacho, a regional military spokeswoman, told the Mindanao Examiner.
Cacho did not release the soldiers’ names or say if they were armed or not at the time of the attack. She said the victims were members of the 55th Engineering Brigade deployed in Basilan to repair dilapidated schools.
But police identified the slain soldiers as Technical Sergeant Luciano Abcede and Private First Class Danny Salian.
“We have sent police forces to hunt down the attackers. We don’t know the motive of the killings. Investigation is going on,” said Senior Superintendent Salik Macapantar, the provincial police chief.
Tipo-Tipo is a known lair of Moro rebels blamed for many attacks on security forces. US troops are also deployed in Basilan and helping local soldiers in various humanitarian missions. It was not immediately known whether American forces are also deployed in Tipo-Tipo.
Basilan is one of five provinces under the Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao and a stronghold of various rebel groups, including the most violent al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf and the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front. (Mindanao Examiner)
Thursday, May 21, 2009
3 killed, 5 wounded in Zamboanga ambush
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 21, 2009) – Three people were killed and five others wounded after unidentified motorcycle gunmen ambushed their truck Thursday on a village in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines, officials said.
Officials said the attack occurred shortly before 3 p.m. in the village of Victoria, east of Zamboanga City. “Three people were killed instantly and five others are wounded in the attack,” said Nonoy Revillas, the village chieftain.
No individual or group claimed responsibility for the ambush, but one of the wounded, Al Asid Alpito, said the attackers opened fire on their truck. “We were shot with an Armalite (rifle). We don’t know the two men, they just opened fire on our truck,” he told reporters from his hospital bed.
Officials said the motive of the attack was unknown, but previous attacks on civilians in Zamboanga City had been largely blamed to the Abu Sayyaf and the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels.
In February, government troops clashed with some 100 suspected Moro rebels in the village of Curuan after soldiers foiled an attack at an army detachment in the area.
In January, suspected Moro gunmen also abducted and killed four civilians. One villager was also wounded, but managed to escape from the attackers. The Abu Sayyaf also bombed several civilian targets in Zamboanga City in previous years. (Mindanao Examiner)
Officials said the attack occurred shortly before 3 p.m. in the village of Victoria, east of Zamboanga City. “Three people were killed instantly and five others are wounded in the attack,” said Nonoy Revillas, the village chieftain.
No individual or group claimed responsibility for the ambush, but one of the wounded, Al Asid Alpito, said the attackers opened fire on their truck. “We were shot with an Armalite (rifle). We don’t know the two men, they just opened fire on our truck,” he told reporters from his hospital bed.
Officials said the motive of the attack was unknown, but previous attacks on civilians in Zamboanga City had been largely blamed to the Abu Sayyaf and the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels.
In February, government troops clashed with some 100 suspected Moro rebels in the village of Curuan after soldiers foiled an attack at an army detachment in the area.
In January, suspected Moro gunmen also abducted and killed four civilians. One villager was also wounded, but managed to escape from the attackers. The Abu Sayyaf also bombed several civilian targets in Zamboanga City in previous years. (Mindanao Examiner)
Friday, May 15, 2009
1 killed, 3 wounded in roadside bombings in Mindanao
COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 15, 2009) – Three homemade bombs exploded on Friday and killed a pro-government militia and wounded three others in the restive province of Maguindanao in the southern Philippines, officials said.
Officials said the target of the bombings was the provincial governor Datu Andal Ampatuan Jr. He was set to visit a village in Shariff Aguak town at the time of the attacks.
The bombs, assembled from 81mm mortar shells and connected to cell phones, exploded seconds apart on a road where Ampatuan’s convoy was to pass, said Lt. Col. Jonathan Ponce, a spokesman for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.
“The bombs were intended to Governor Ampatuan. He was the real target of the bombings, but the IEDs exploded before his convoy could pass the area,” he said.
Ponce blamed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels for the failed slay attempt on the life of Ampatuan. “Who else would do that except the rebels,” he said.
There was no statement from Ampatuan, whose brother Datu Zaldy Ampatuan is the governor of the five-province Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Their father, Datu Andal Ampatuan, is a political ally of President Gloria Arroyo, and is one of the most influential in the Muslim autonomous region to which Maguindanao belongs.
The MILF has denied any involvement in the attack, saying, it could be related to clan war of family feud and may even be connected to politics.
“The Ampatuans have many enemies. The attacks could be related to a feud or even politics. We have nothing to do with the bombings,” said Eid Kabalu, a senior MILF leader.
The elder Ampatuan also survived several assassination attempts since 2001. In 2006, he was ambushed and survived in Shariff Aguak town after a roadside bomb was detonated near the politician's convoy and authorities blamed the attack to a senior MILF leader, Zaid Pakiladatu, who denied the accusation.
But Pakiladatu's wife was also killed in an ambush in Cotabato City several weeks later after the bombing.
Ampatuan’s son Hoffer was killed during a shoot out at a party in Cotabato City 2002. His brother, Saudi Ampatuan, a town mayor, was also killed in a bomb attack in Maguindanao’s Datu Piang town also in 2002. (Mindanao Examiner)
Officials said the target of the bombings was the provincial governor Datu Andal Ampatuan Jr. He was set to visit a village in Shariff Aguak town at the time of the attacks.
The bombs, assembled from 81mm mortar shells and connected to cell phones, exploded seconds apart on a road where Ampatuan’s convoy was to pass, said Lt. Col. Jonathan Ponce, a spokesman for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.
“The bombs were intended to Governor Ampatuan. He was the real target of the bombings, but the IEDs exploded before his convoy could pass the area,” he said.
Ponce blamed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels for the failed slay attempt on the life of Ampatuan. “Who else would do that except the rebels,” he said.
There was no statement from Ampatuan, whose brother Datu Zaldy Ampatuan is the governor of the five-province Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Their father, Datu Andal Ampatuan, is a political ally of President Gloria Arroyo, and is one of the most influential in the Muslim autonomous region to which Maguindanao belongs.
The MILF has denied any involvement in the attack, saying, it could be related to clan war of family feud and may even be connected to politics.
“The Ampatuans have many enemies. The attacks could be related to a feud or even politics. We have nothing to do with the bombings,” said Eid Kabalu, a senior MILF leader.
The elder Ampatuan also survived several assassination attempts since 2001. In 2006, he was ambushed and survived in Shariff Aguak town after a roadside bomb was detonated near the politician's convoy and authorities blamed the attack to a senior MILF leader, Zaid Pakiladatu, who denied the accusation.
But Pakiladatu's wife was also killed in an ambush in Cotabato City several weeks later after the bombing.
Ampatuan’s son Hoffer was killed during a shoot out at a party in Cotabato City 2002. His brother, Saudi Ampatuan, a town mayor, was also killed in a bomb attack in Maguindanao’s Datu Piang town also in 2002. (Mindanao Examiner)
Friday, May 01, 2009
Rebels attack civilian trucks in Mindanao
MAGUINDANAO, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 01, 2009) – Four people were wounded after suspected Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels fired a rocket on a convoy of four civilian trucks in the southern Philippines, security officials said on Friday.
Officials said one of the trucks, owned by Jerry Lagas, was hit by an anti-tank rocket on a highway near the village of Macasampen in Guindulungan town in Maguindanao province.
The attack occurred before midnight Thursday, said Lt. Col. Jonathan Ponce, a spokesman for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.
The trucks, he said, came from Zamboanga Sibugay province to deliver charcoal in the province. No group claimed responsibility for the ambush, but the military blamed the MILF for rocket attack.
“The wounded civilians were rushed to the hospital. The attackers thought the trucks were military convoy. It was the MILF,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.
The military identified the wounded as Ricky Fuertes, Norman Atamosa, Ronnie Barriga and Jone Labrador.
On Wednesday, troops recovered two M203 grenade launchers and MILF documents at an abandoned thatched house in the village of Muslim in Guindulungan town, he said.
The MILF is the country’s largest Muslim rebel group fighting for self-determination in Mindanao. Peace talks between the MILF and the Arroyo government collapsed last year after the failed signing of a Muslim homeland deal. (Mindanao Examiner)
Officials said one of the trucks, owned by Jerry Lagas, was hit by an anti-tank rocket on a highway near the village of Macasampen in Guindulungan town in Maguindanao province.
The attack occurred before midnight Thursday, said Lt. Col. Jonathan Ponce, a spokesman for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.
The trucks, he said, came from Zamboanga Sibugay province to deliver charcoal in the province. No group claimed responsibility for the ambush, but the military blamed the MILF for rocket attack.
“The wounded civilians were rushed to the hospital. The attackers thought the trucks were military convoy. It was the MILF,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.
The military identified the wounded as Ricky Fuertes, Norman Atamosa, Ronnie Barriga and Jone Labrador.
On Wednesday, troops recovered two M203 grenade launchers and MILF documents at an abandoned thatched house in the village of Muslim in Guindulungan town, he said.
The MILF is the country’s largest Muslim rebel group fighting for self-determination in Mindanao. Peace talks between the MILF and the Arroyo government collapsed last year after the failed signing of a Muslim homeland deal. (Mindanao Examiner)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
North Cotabato poll official ambushed
KIDAPAWAN, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 15, 2009) – Unidentified motorcycle gunmen shot dead a Filipino poll officer in a broad daylight attack Wednesday in North Cotabato province in the restive region of Mindanao, south of the Philippines, police said.
Police said Francisco Micutuan was ambushed at around 3.15 p.m. in the village of Buayan in the town of M’lang.
The 58-year old poll registrar was driving his multi-cab on his way to the office of the Commission on Elections when the two gunmen drove near his side and shot him several times at close range. He was instantly killed, police said.
The gunmen escaped on their motorbike and police said it is still investigating the motive of the killing. It was unknown if the killing was connected to next year’s local and national polls. Police said it has formed Task Force Frank that will handle the case of the slain election official. (Geo Somerano)
Police said Francisco Micutuan was ambushed at around 3.15 p.m. in the village of Buayan in the town of M’lang.
The 58-year old poll registrar was driving his multi-cab on his way to the office of the Commission on Elections when the two gunmen drove near his side and shot him several times at close range. He was instantly killed, police said.
The gunmen escaped on their motorbike and police said it is still investigating the motive of the killing. It was unknown if the killing was connected to next year’s local and national polls. Police said it has formed Task Force Frank that will handle the case of the slain election official. (Geo Somerano)
Monday, April 06, 2009
Ambush kills 3 in Basilan province
BASILAN, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 06, 2009) – At least three people were killed Monday in an ambush blamed by the military and police to clan war in the troubled province of Basilan in the southern Philippines.
Police said the gunmen ambushed a cargo truck as it passed a village in the town of Lantawan. At least seven passengers were also injured in the attack.
Regional police chief Bensali Jabarani said he sent additional police forces in the town to hunt down the attackers.
“Sporadic fighting between the protagonists actually began on Sunday and continued until today. We have sent forces in the area to hunt those behind the attack and disarm the protagonists. This is clan war,” he told nthe Mindanao Examiner.
The military also said the fighting was between two warring civilian groups.
“We have reports that the attack was connected to a feud between two civilian groups,” Army First Lt. Steffani Cacho, a spokeswoman for the Western Mindanao Command, said in a separate interview.
Clan war or locally known as “rido”, is common in many parts of the southern Philippines. The U.S. Agency for International Development and the think tank, Asia Foundation, have said more than 3,000 people have been killed over the past seven decades in family feuds in the southern Philippines.
Rido can involve disputes among family members or among two or more rival families, pitting neighbors or different ethnic groups against each other. The disputes center on issues of land, money, marriage or political power and involve revenge killing.
The violence increases with each act of retaliation, broadening to include those not directly involved in the dispute, including women and children, according to the Asia Foundation, adding, some feuds lasted for decades. (Mindanao Examiner)
Police said the gunmen ambushed a cargo truck as it passed a village in the town of Lantawan. At least seven passengers were also injured in the attack.
Regional police chief Bensali Jabarani said he sent additional police forces in the town to hunt down the attackers.
“Sporadic fighting between the protagonists actually began on Sunday and continued until today. We have sent forces in the area to hunt those behind the attack and disarm the protagonists. This is clan war,” he told nthe Mindanao Examiner.
The military also said the fighting was between two warring civilian groups.
“We have reports that the attack was connected to a feud between two civilian groups,” Army First Lt. Steffani Cacho, a spokeswoman for the Western Mindanao Command, said in a separate interview.
Clan war or locally known as “rido”, is common in many parts of the southern Philippines. The U.S. Agency for International Development and the think tank, Asia Foundation, have said more than 3,000 people have been killed over the past seven decades in family feuds in the southern Philippines.
Rido can involve disputes among family members or among two or more rival families, pitting neighbors or different ethnic groups against each other. The disputes center on issues of land, money, marriage or political power and involve revenge killing.
The violence increases with each act of retaliation, broadening to include those not directly involved in the dispute, including women and children, according to the Asia Foundation, adding, some feuds lasted for decades. (Mindanao Examiner)
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
2 soldiers killed in Mindanao ambush
ILIGAN CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 18, 2009) – Suspected Moro rebels ambushed an army patrol in the southern Philippines, killing two soldiers and wounding two more, the army said on Wednesday.
It said the attack occurred late Tuesday near the village of Sandor in Lanao del Norte’s Balo-i town, where Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels are actively operating.
There were no reports of enemy casualties, but MILF attacks in the province were not uncommon. Rebel forces were also blamed for previous attacks against military targets in the province.
It was unknown what triggered the attacks, but rebels have been harassing government soldiers in Lanao del Norte in recent months. There was no immediate statement from the MILF about the attack.
Security forces in the area have been tracking down a senior MILF leader Abdurahman Macapaar who led rebel forces in attacking civilian targets last year after the failed signing of the Muslim homeland deal with government peace negotiators.
The failed signing of the homeland deal led to the collapse of the peace talks.
President Gloria Arroyo opened peace talks with the MILF, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group fighting for independence in the restive region. (Merlyn Manos)
It said the attack occurred late Tuesday near the village of Sandor in Lanao del Norte’s Balo-i town, where Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels are actively operating.
There were no reports of enemy casualties, but MILF attacks in the province were not uncommon. Rebel forces were also blamed for previous attacks against military targets in the province.
It was unknown what triggered the attacks, but rebels have been harassing government soldiers in Lanao del Norte in recent months. There was no immediate statement from the MILF about the attack.
Security forces in the area have been tracking down a senior MILF leader Abdurahman Macapaar who led rebel forces in attacking civilian targets last year after the failed signing of the Muslim homeland deal with government peace negotiators.
The failed signing of the homeland deal led to the collapse of the peace talks.
President Gloria Arroyo opened peace talks with the MILF, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group fighting for independence in the restive region. (Merlyn Manos)
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sayyafs ambush marines in Sulu Island
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 24, 2008) – Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants detonated a roadside bomb on Monday, wounding four Filipino marines in the southern Philippine island of Sulu, officials said.
General Mohammad Dolorfino, chief of the Philippines Marines, said the soldiers were on board a truck and passing through the village of Bangkal in Patikul town when the explosion occurred.
“Four of my marines are wounded in the attack, believed carried out by the Abu Sayyaf,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.
He said the bomb was placed on a pile of garbage on the side of the road and detonated as the M35 truck passed. “Soldiers recovered 50 meters of electrical wire and this suggested that the perpetrators had detonated the explosive as the truck was passing by,” he said.
Dolorfino did not say how many soldiers were on the truck, but they were heading to a marine detachment near Patikul tow. The soldiers came from a marine base in Buhanginan village in Patikul town, where US troops are deployed.
General Mohammad Dolorfino, chief of the Philippines Marines, said the soldiers were on board a truck and passing through the village of Bangkal in Patikul town when the explosion occurred.
“Four of my marines are wounded in the attack, believed carried out by the Abu Sayyaf,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.
He said the bomb was placed on a pile of garbage on the side of the road and detonated as the M35 truck passed. “Soldiers recovered 50 meters of electrical wire and this suggested that the perpetrators had detonated the explosive as the truck was passing by,” he said.
Dolorfino did not say how many soldiers were on the truck, but they were heading to a marine detachment near Patikul tow. The soldiers came from a marine base in Buhanginan village in Patikul town, where US troops are deployed.
Abu Sayyaf militants in August also ambushed a Philippine and US military convoy in Sulu, killing four Filipino soldiers and wounded ten more in the village of Bonbon in Patikul town.
The incident was also not reported to the local media, but the Guam Army National Guard released a brief statement confirming that one of its servicemen was unharmed following an attack on his unit in Sulu.
The US soldier was not identified, but the Guam Army National Guard said the serviceman is attached to a platoon with the 294th Infantry Regiment deployed in May in Sulu to aide in the ongoing conflict there.
The Philippine military and the US Embassy in Manila insisted no US soldiers were in the attacked convoy.
American troops are training and assisting local soldiers in defeating terrorism in the southern Philippines on the request of the Philippine government. Earlier this month, Filipino soldiers also captured an Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Sakirin Andalan Sali and killed another militant, Faidar Hadjadi, in a firefight in Sulu. (Mindanao Examiner)
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Muslim child killed, 5 others wounded in Mindanao ambush
COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 9, 2008) – Unidentified gunmen ambushed Sunday a group of Muslim children, killing one and wounding six more in the southern Philippines, a regional army spokesman said.
Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, of the 6th Infantry Division, said the attack occurred at around 6.30 a.m. in the village of Langayen in North Cotabato’s Pikit town. He said the victims were onboard a mini-van when gunmen opened fire on the vehicle as it passed the village.
“One child was killed in the ambush and at least six more were wounded. There is a pursuit operation going on,” Ando told the Mindanao Examiner.
He said the vehicle, owned by Norodin Ungkay, a member of the Aleosan municipal council, was heading to the downtown Pikit from the village of Dunguan in Pikit town when ambushed.
No group claimed responsibility for the ambush, but Ando said police and military were looking into reports that Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels could be involved in the attack.
“There is an investigation about this, about the involvement of rogue MILF members,” Ando said.
But the MILF said it has nothing to do with the ambush and blamed clan war as the culprit. “We have reports saying the ambush was connected to a clan war or family feud between two Muslim groups,” said Eid Kabalu, a senior MILF leader, who was monitoring the situation in the town, where rebels are actively operating.
The MILF is the country’s largest Muslim rebel group fighting the past three decades for self-determination in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)
Monday, November 03, 2008
Ambush kills 5 Muslims in Southern Philippines
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Wednesday, September 17, 2008
MILF Rebels Ambushed Troops In Southern Philippines
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Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Batanes Governor Ambushed Near Philippine Airport
MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 3, 2008) – Unidentified gunmen shot and seriously wounded the governor of Batanes island in an attack Wednesday in near the Philippine capital.
Police said Governor Telesforo Castillejos was shot twice in the head and body and his driver was also wounded in the attack at around 3.30 a.m. They were in a car on their way to the airport when gunmen ambushed them.
Castillejos’ son who was at the car was unhurt in the attack. Police said the gunmen used 9mm automatic pistols fitted with silencer in the shooting. Police gave no other details or motive of the attack, but suspected the ambush was probably connected to politics. (Mindanao Examiner)
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Guam Army National Guard Unhurt In Southern Philippines Attack, 4 Filipino Marines Killed
A convoy of US and Philippine troops pass on a village in Jolo town in the southern Filipino province of Sulu. Abu Sayyaf militants attacked US and Filipino soldiers in the village of Bonbon in Sulu's Patikul town on Saturday, August 30, 2008 killing four local soldiers and wounding ten more. A member of the Guam Army National Guard was unharmed in the attack. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 31, 2008) – The Philippine military launched a “calibrated” offensive against Abu Sayyaf militants following an attack that killed four Filipino soldiers and wounded ten more in the southern island of Sulu, officials said.
US soldiers were in the military convoy when militants attacked them with mortars and automatic weapons near a marine base in the village of Bonbon in Patikul town over the weekend. The attack occurred two days before the start of the Ramadan, Islam’s holiest month.
Filipino security officials did not report about the presence of US troops in the convoy, but the Guam Army National Guard released a brief statement Saturday, confirming that a local serviceman currently was unharmed following an attack on his unit on the island.
The US soldier was not identified, but the Guam Army National Guard said the serviceman is attached to a platoon with the 294th Infantry Regiment deployed in May in Sulu to aide in the ongoing conflict there.
No other details were made available by the Philippine and US military about the American involvement in the operations against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu, but the members of the 294th Infantry Regiment are assigned to the U.S. Joint Special Operations Task Force - Philippines.
The attack came two days after Filipino and US soldiers and provincial government officials inaugurated various development and infrastructure projects in Patikul town.
Four artesian wells have been handed over to local officials in the villages of Timpook, Taung, Tanum, and Liang and a new school building in the village of Bonbon and two road projects in Liang and Bud Datu, all in Patikul.
At least 30 US soldiers, part of the Guam Army National Guard's 1st Battalion under the 294th Infantry Regiment, were deployed in Sulu to serve as security - for at least for six months - for a unit of the Special Operations Command-Pacific.
Hundreds of US troops are deployed in Sulu and other parts of the southern Philippines also conducting joint civilian-military operations and training with the Philippine military.
The humanitarian missions is part of the Balikatan, which means "shoulder-to-shoulder," an annual Philippine and US bilateral military humanitarian assistance and training activity.
Though US and Philippine government officials have consistently claimed that the unit is not involved in actual combat, US troops themselves describe their mission as "unconventional warfare" and "counter-insurgency" operations in the country. US troops join Filipino soldiers on patrol, provide them with intelligence, and assist in various aspects of their operation.
American soldiers are also active in many development and humanitarian activities in the southern Philippines, especially in Sulu province where they built roads and schools and join medical missions with local troops and provincial government mostly in poor areas.
Just earlier this year, about 600 US troops worked with civilian authorities and the Armed Forces of the Philippines in various humanitarian projects that included free medical, dental and veterinary care in Sulu province and also in central and Western part of Mindanao.
US and Philippine soldiers, many of them construction engineers, built schools and other community infrastructures in those areas. In 2006, the United States Navy hospital ship Mercy had treated more than 60,000 mostly poor Filipino patients in separate medical missions in Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi islands, including Zamboanga City, as part of the Project Bayanihan. (Mindanao Examiner)
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