3 soldiers, 1 civilian killed in Lanao ambush

BY NONOY E LACSON

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Three soldiers and a civilian were killed when they were ambushed in the boundary of Poona Piagapo and Pantao Ragat, Lanao del Norte, while en-route to a public market, the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Western Mindanao Command (AFP-WestMinCom) reported Friday.

AFP-WestMinCom commander Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, Jr. said unidentified armed men sprayed with automatic gunfire the soldiers at about 8:45 a.m. Thursday.

“Based on the report, our troops from the 4th Mechanized Infantry Battalion received an information from a civilian informant regarding a shooting incident in the boundary of Poona Piagapo and Pantao Ragat, Lanao del Norte.”

Upon arrival in the area, the responding team learned that three of their comrades and a civilian were ambushed and killed on the spot, according to Vinluan.

“The fourth victim is a civilian and is yet to be identified while the names of the slain soldiers were withheld pending notification to their next of kin,” Lt. Col. Domingo Dulay, commander of the 4th Mechanized Infantry Battalion.

The three soldiers were onboard a motorcycle to go on marketing when the incident happened, he added. “Our troops immediately conducted pursuit operation and coordinated with the PNP of Poona Piagapo and Pantao Ragat for investigation,” Dulay added. (Nonoy E Lacson)