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| Southeast Asia |
| Four soldiers, 3 militias killed in Lanao del Sur, Mindanao |
| 2008-08-18 |
| Unidentified gunmen ambushed a military convoy on Sunday and killing seven people, including four soldiers in the province of Lanao del Sur, officials said. At least eight more soldiers and three government militias were wounded in the attack at around 8 a.m. in the town of Malundo. The ambush sparked a firefight between the soldiers and militias, said Army Brig. Gen. Hilario Atendido, commander of a military task force. “Four of our soldiers and three militias were killed and 11 others wounded in the ambush. We still do not know who was behind the attack,” he said, adding that armed rebels of the Moro Islamic Liferation Front and the New PeopleÂ’s Army are known to operate in the area. The motive of the attack was unknown, but the general said the soldiers were just distributing salaries of members of the paramilitary Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Units. Army spokesman Romeo Brawner said the attacked happened at around 8 a.m. Sunday in the boundary of Mulondo and BuaÂdiposo-Buntong towns, which is part of the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao. Apart from the fatalities 11 were also wounded in the government side—eight Army men, three Cafgus. The said ambush was staged a day after the MILF successfully forced out Muslim insurgents from 15 villages it illegally occupied in several towns in North Cotabato. On Friday, Armed Forces chief Alexander Yano admitted that the security situation in Mindanao is still volatile and fluid despite the withdrawal of MILF rebels belonging to 105th Base Command headed by Commander Umbra Kato. But he was confident that government troops are ready to counter any offensive that will be launched by the Moro rebels and still remain committed to follow the path of peace. |
| Posted by:Pappy |