| Another victory the commies can be proud of... |
Communist rebels attacked a group of military band members, wounding at least eleven people, on a remote village in the southern Philippines, officials said. Officials said the rebels detonated a land mine and then opened fire on the truck hired by soldiers to bring them to the village of Bangunay in the town of Jabonga, Agusan del Norte province, on Tuesday. âAt least eight soldiers, who are band members, and three civilians, were injured in the attack,â said Lt. Col. Francisco Simbajon, a spokesman for the armyâs 4th Infantry Division.He said the soldiers, all members of the 30th Infantry Battalion, were to perform in the village as part of a Christmas civic program. The band members were armed only with drums and trumpets and guitars. And the civilians were only drivers and helpers, he said. Simbajon said the truck driver managed to escape from the ambush scene. Villagers rescued the soldiers and protected them from the rebels.
Rebels earlier killed four soldiers in a daring broad daylight attack at a market in Tagum City. One of the dead was army Capt. Marcelo Quitiquit, officials said. The four were about to board their van when the gunmen attacked in front of horrified civilians, said Maj. Gamal Hayudini, a Southern Command spokesman.