4 Army men, 2 civilians wounded in NPA ambush

LEGAZPI CITY – Four personnel of the Army’s 565th Engineering Construction Battalion and two civilians were wounded in an ambush by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels along the national road in Bacon, Sorsogon last Friday afternoon, the military said.

Lt. Col. Claudio Yucot, commanding officer of the 9th Infantry Battalion operating in Sorsogon City and Pilar, Castilla and Donsol towns, identified those wounded as Cpl. Orlando Nuyles, Pfcs. Orly Gigo, Ruel Ete and Joel Dagta and civilians Edgardo Gujo and Gabriel Hermosa.

The four soldiers suffered gunshot wounds in the arm, back and thighs, he said.

“The Isuzu Elf truck they were riding was a total wreck,” said Yucot, who supervised the rescue effort.

Yucot said about 10 guerrillas peppered the soldiers’ vehicle with automatic gunfire from M-14 and M-16 rifles after exploding four improvised claymore mines on the road.

Yucot said the soldiers were on the way back to their headquarters after delivering construction supplies for the repair of a school building when they were waylaid.