Army camp in Basilan attacked by armed men; 3 soldiers hurt
Colonel Frederick M. Sales, acting commander of the 101st Infantry Brigade (File photo: 101IBde)
Three soldiers were injured when armed men attacked a Philippine Army (PA) base in Lamitan City, Basilan, the military reported Friday, Aug. 8.
According to a military report, the unidentified assailants fired upon the headquarters of the 18th Infantry Battalion (18IB) in Brgy. Campo Uno, Lamitan City on Wednesday night, Aug. 6. The 18IB is supervised by the 101st Infantry Brigade (101IBde) of the 11th Infantry Division (11ID).
Soldiers retaliated and a 20-minute firefight broke out which resulted in the wounding of three military personnel.
Colonel Frederick M. Sales, acting commander of the 101IBde, described the attack as “cowardly”.
“This cowardly, deliberate act of aggression against our troops is a clear affront to the stability and peace we have collectively worked hard to achieve in Basilan,” he said.
“Such violence threatens the hard-won peace and progress we have made, and the perpetrators of this attack will be relentlessly pursued and held accountable,” he added.
The 101IBde has heightened security measures in Lamitan City and troops placed on full alert following the incident.
Soldiers were also deployed to track down the suspects.
The military has yet to determine the motive behind the attack and the identities of the suspects.
Meanwhile, the three soldiers were already in stable condition after being brought to a hospital for the treatment of their injuries.