Insurgents attack Lamitan military camp

LAMITAN CITY — Unidentified gunmen with high-powered firearms attacked a military camp in Lamitan City, wounding three soldiers before fleeing into a coconut plantation late Wednesday, officials said.

Col. Frederick Sales, acting commander of the 101st Infantry “Three Red Arrows” Brigade, reported that fewer than 10 armed men attacked the headquarters of the 18th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Campo Uno around 7:20 p.m. The three wounded soldiers were taken to a local hospital and are in stable condition.

Gunship helicopters from the Philippine Air Force, based in Zamboanga City, were dispatched to the area minutes after the attack.

“This cowardly and 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,” Sales said, vowing that the perpetrators would be “relentlessly pursued and held accountable.”

Lamitan City Mayor Roderick Furigay urged residents to remain calm, assuring the public that security measures have been heightened and intelligence efforts are ongoing. He said the attack “only strengthens our law enforcement community’s resolve and determination to protect the gains of peace and development in Lamitan City.”

Meanwhile, in Tupi, South Cotabato, five former members of the New People’s Army surrendered to the military. The former rebels, who turned over five high-powered firearms, were presented to Brig. Gen. Omar V. Orozco, commander of the 1st Mechanized “Maaasahan” Brigade.

Orozco said the government would assist the former rebels in enrolling in the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program and other government assistance programs. “We will ensure that these former rebels are guided and supported throughout their reintegration journey,” he said.