Lantawan cops escape harm in Basilan ambush

ILIGAN CITY—Several unidentified armed men waylaid a team of policemen in Lantawan, Basilan on Thursday but none of the law enforcers were harmed.

The Lantawan incident came a day after suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits killed two men working on a government project during an ambush in Lamitan City.

Chief Supt. Graciano Mijares, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao police director, said a seven-man team from the Lantawan police were heading back to their station on a patrol vehicle after attending a barangay anti-crime meeting when fired upon in Barangay Bulan-Bulan past 2 p.m.

“The team retaliated and managed to escape from the killing zone unharmed,” Mijares said in a text message to the Inquirer.

On Wednesday, suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits killed two men working for a government road project and wounded two others during an ambush in Lamitan City.

Engineer Soler Undug, the district engineer of DPWH in Basilan, told the Inquirer that prior to the attack, road project workers in the province had received threats.

The police said the Abu Sayyaf had been trying to extort money over the road projects. /jpv