Soldier dead, 9 wounded in Basilan ambush

SURVIVOR Abdurafiq Gafor Akalun, a member of the Joint Peace Security Team in Basilan, is wounded in an ambush in Ungkaya Pukan, Basilan, on Saturday. —PHOTO SHARED BY MARWA AKALUN

ZAMBOANGA CITY—The military confirmed one soldier was killed while nine others, many of whom were police officers, were wounded in an ambush in Barangay Ulitan of Ungkaya Pukan town in Basilan province on Saturday.

Soldiers from the Army’s 64th Infantry Battalion along with policemen and other members of the Joint Peace Security Team (JPST) and local government representatives were in Ungkaya Pukan to prepare for the forthcoming medical and outreach program when they were ambushed by still unidentified gunmen, according to Brig. Gen. Alvin Luzon, head of the Joint Task Force Basilan.

“Tragically, one soldier lost his life and nine others sustained injuries,” said Luzon.

He added: “It was atrocious. We condemn this cowardly act of violence. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the fallen and injured soldiers.”

Ungkaya Pukan Vice Mayor Ahmadin Baharim joined the local government convoy during the ambush but he was safe, the military said.

Luzon said the wounded soldiers were promptly evacuated to Camp Navarro General Hospital of the Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City for treatment.

Military authorities have yet to release the name of the slain soldier.

But among the wounded was Abdurafiq Gafor Akalun, a police officer member of the JPST and brother of Marwa Akalun, wife of Bangsamoro Member of Parliament Hadji Dan Asnawi.

“We were shocked by the incident,” Marwa Akalun told the Inquirer by phone on Saturday.

She said her brother was still undergoing treatment: “We rushed him immediately to the hospital for medical attention.”

Of the eight other remaining wounded, seven were identified by sources as Sgt. Bisarra, Corporals Lomoljo and Palomares, Private First Class Tampus, and Privates Penistan, Tenido and Jimenes.

Unwavering commitment

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Basilan strongly condemned the violence and vowed to investigate if MILF members were involved.

Hadji Samad Ahaddin, MILF team leader of the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities in Basilan, assured that if any of their members were involved, these members would be made accountable for violation of the ceasefire agreement between the government and the former Moro rebel group who signed a peace deal with government in 2014.

Luzon said the Joint Task Force Basilan remained committed to upholding peace and security in the province and would continue to work closely with local authorities to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future.

“The community’s resolve to stand united against acts of violence and terror is unwavering, and efforts to foster stability and development in Barangay Ulitan, Ungkaya Pukan in Basilan will persist,” he said.

—JULIE ALIPALA INQ

RELATED STORIES

Death toll in Basilan ambush now 2

300 Tawi-Tawi-bound boat passengers stranded in Basilan island