(Update) Hot pursuit against suspects in ambuscade of PSG in Lanao Del Sur launched

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 29): (Update) Hot pursuit against suspects in ambuscade of PSG in Lanao Del Sur launched

The military and police launched a hot pursuit operation against the armed men believed responsible in the ambuscade of the convoy of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) in Marawi City Monday morning.

Sr. Supt. Agustin Tello, Lanao del Sur provincial police director, said that seven members of the PSG, including the team, leader were wounded in the ambush along the roadside village of Matampay, Marawi City shortly before 11 a.m. Monday.

Tello identified those wounded only through their surnames as a certain Capt. Zamora, the PSG team leader, Staff Sgt. Damaso, Cpl. Inova, Cpl. De Leon, Sgt. Garcia, Pfcs. Gonzales and Panisa.

The two personnel from the Army’s 65th Infantry Battalion who were also wounded were Cpls. Galintia and Corpuz, Tello said.

Citing a police report, Tello said that the armed men detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) on the roadside of Matampay when the convoy of the PSG, the military escorts, and the media personnel of the Radio-Television-Malacanang passed by followed by a staccato of gunfire.

He said that five, three of them PSG personnel, were immediately flown by a presidential helicopter to Cagayan De Oro City for immediate medical treatment due to shrapnel wounds.

The other wounded were confined in a hospital in Iligan City for minor injuries.

Maj. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, Jr., said that the wounded PSG and military personnel are now in stable condition except one personnel who would still undergo operation.

The PSG personnel were sent to Marawi City as advance party of the unannounced visit of President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday to get a first hand information on the ongoing military operations against the terror “Maute Group” in Lanao Del Sur.

Tello said that with the ambuscade Monday, the police provincial command has not received any notice whether Duterte would proceed to Marawi City on Wednesday as planned.

A running gun battle between the government troopers and the "Maute Group" ensued in the last four days when the terror group overran a municipal town of Butig in Lanao del Sur on Friday last week.

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