2 soldiers wounded in checkpoint attack in Basilan

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur — Two soldiers were wounded in an explosion at the checkpoint of the 68th Infantry Battalion in Campo Uno village, Lamitan City, Basilan at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 31.

Brigadier General Domingo Gobway, commander of the Joint Task Force Basilan, said Corporal Cyrus P. Bunda and Private Army Vember Basco, who were manning the checkpoint, sustained shrapnel wounds when three suspects on board black Honda XRM motorbike harassed checkpoint personnel.

“One of the suspects shot Basco four times using a caliber 45 pistol and successfully grabbed Bunda’s R4 A3 rifle with an M203 attached to it. Bunda was unconscious due to the explosion,” Gobway said.

He said the wounded personnel had been immediately evacuated to Lamitan City Hospital for medical treatment.

The three suspects fled towards Barangay Cabobo, also in the city of Lamitan.

“I have ordered all checkpoints to heighten their alert to intercept the suspects. We also launched a hot pursuit operation and intensified intelligence monitoring,” Gobway said.

On Jul 31, 2018, Lamitan was also rocked with an explosion when an improvised explosive device (IED) categorized as fertilizer bomb killed 10 persons and wounded seven others. The Abu Sayyaf Group targeted the checkpoints in the areas of Barangay Magkawit, Bulanting, Colonia and Maganda for their attack.