Army soldiers returning from medical mission ambushed; no casualty

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 17): Army soldiers returning from medical mission ambushed; no casualty

Philippine Army soldiers who came from a medical mission in the hinterland villages in one of the towns in the Second District of Iloilo were ambushed by an armed group believed to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels somewhere in Barangay Mayang, Tubungan, Iloilo Thursday afternoon.

Major Rey Tiongson, spokesman of the 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division (3ID), Philippine Army based in Camp Macario Peralta, Jaminda, Capiz, said the soldiers were on their way back to their headquarters in Iloilo early this afternoon when fired upon by the armed rebels.

In a radio interview, Major Tiongson said the government troops were with members of an international humanitarian organization coming from a medical mission dubbed "Operation Blessing" conducted in barangays of the neighboring Leon town in Iloilo when armed rebels staged the ambuscade.

A brief firefight erupted that later saw the withdrawing rebel ambushers seemingly avoiding head-on engagement with the more superior firepower of government soldiers.

Fortunately, there were no reported casualties or injuries on the government side. Soldiers scoured the vicinity of the encounter scene for possible signs of casualties on the rebel side.

Military authorities did not immediately identify the rebel group responsible for the ambuscade.

Meanwhile, soldiers from the 82nd Infantry Battalion (82IB) of the Philippine Army based in Camp Monteclaro, Miag-ao, Iloilo immediately launched a hot pursuit operation against the ambushers who retreated toward the hinterlands of Barangay Mayang in Tubungan town.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=663610