Seven soldiers, including an officer, were killed while 13 others were wounded in separate encounters with suspected Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) brigands in Sulu, Thursday.
Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief, said the officer was killed around 6:20 a.m. after he and his men encountered an undetermined number of ASG men in Barangay Kagay, Patikul, Sulu.
Ten minutes later, six soldiers were killed while 13 were wounded after they were hit by an 81mm mortar launched by the lawless group in Barangay Kabuntakas.
"As of this report, the remaining troops are still in the area of operations while the casualties were evacuated to the nearest hospital for medical attention," Zagala stressed.
The three critically-wounded personnel from Barangays Kabbon-Takas were evacuated to
"We are yet to inform the families of our members who were killed and wounded during the encounters in Sulu. Rest assured that they are being well taken care of," the AFP public affairs office chief stated.
Zagala said the incident in Patikul would not hamper military operations against the ASG.
"The AFP continues to conduct its focused-military operations against these rebels to ensure the safety and security of the civilians in the area," he added.
"Our soldiers did not suffer in vain for they bravely sacrificed their lives in line of their duty to our people," Zagala concluded.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=655027
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.