3 soldiers wounded in Lanao del Sur ‘rido’

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — Government troops pacifying a gunfight between two feuding clans, locally known as rido, ended in a clash that left three soldiers wounded in Picong, Lanao del Sur on Saturday.

Members of the 64th Infantry Battalion and the provincial police office were dispatched to the encounter site to assess and de-escalate the gunfight between the Labao and Gaosil clans in Barangay Biasong.

However, several unidentified people believed to be involved in the rido fired at the soldiers.

Brig. Gen. Yasser Bara, 101st Infantry Brigade commander, said troops retaliated and sparked an exchange of gunfire, which wounded Privates Jude Deligero, Cupid Val Mosque and Reymond Padawan.

A police report said one of the wounded was in critical condition.

Bara condemned the attack, saying the troops were out to restore peace and protect the community.

Security was tightened around the area, with vehicular traffic halted for six hours.

Police said the gunfight ended at 8 p.m. on Saturday.

Bara said the military and police continue to coordinate with local authorities to prevent further hostilities and ensure public safety, as he urged the two feuding groups to cease violence, exercise restraint and resolve their differences through peaceful dialogue.

Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has ordered PNP units to step up patrols and community monitoring in former conflict areas to prevent a resurgence of armed hostilities.

Nartatez also ordered increased police visibility and patrol operations in communities vulnerable to renewed violence.