Army commander's 2 escorts killed in ambush

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines - The commander of the Army’s 1st Mechanized Brigade survived an ambush in Datu Unsay town Monday, but two of his escorts were killed while three others were badly injured in the attack.

Col. Jener Del Rosario and his escorts were on their way to Camp Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat town when members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) set off two roadside bombs while their convoy was approaching a bridge in Barangay Meta in Datu Unsay town in the province.

The BIFF bandits immediately fired anti-tank rockets and assault rifles at the Army vehicles crippled by the blast, sparking a gunbattle.

Though outnumbered, Del Rosario and his men managed to jump out of their vehicles and engage their ambushers, positioned at one side of the Cotabato-Gen. Santos Highway, about two kilometers away from the command headquarters of the 1st Mechanized Brigade.

One of Del Rosario’s escorts was killed in the explosion, while another reportedly died while being treated of shrapnel wounds in a hospital. 

Three other wounded soldiers were evacuated to an undisclosed dispensary for medication.

The incident forced policemen in the adjoining Datu Unsay and Datu Saudi towns to close the highway to traffic while the running firefights ensued to prevent motorists from getting trapped in the crossfire.

The Datu Saudi-Datu Unsay portion of the highway was reopened to traffic three hours later, after soldiers and policemen had cleared its sides of improvised explosive devices.  

The BIFF bandits had almost encircled the position of Del Rosario and his men, but retreated to a hill overlooking the scene when they sensed that responding combatants of the Army’s 45th Infantry Battalion, led by Lt. Col. Donald Hongitan, have started closing in.

Col. Dickson Hermoso, spokesman of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said Del Rosario was to attend a conference at Camp Siongco, the command base of 6th ID, about 50 kilometers northeast of the spot where they were attacked.

Hermoso said Hongitan and his men launched a massive pursuit of the ambushers, who fled to a hinterland at the tri-boundary of Maguindanao’s South Upi, Shariff Aguak, and Datu Saudi towns.

Hongitan said they declared the highway safe to motorists and commuters at about 2 p.m. Monday following heavy exchanges of gunfire with BIFF gunmen.

Hongitan said the bandits used two powerful roadside bombs in the ambush.

“One soldier was killed on the spot, while another succumbed later in a hospital,” Hongitan said.