2 soldiers killed, 3 hurt in Samar ambush

Two soldiers were killed while three others, including an officer, were injured in an ambush by suspected New People’s Army (NPA) members in a mountainous part of Catbalogan City, Samar, on Friday evening, police said.

All five are members of the Army’s 14th Infantry Battalion, Catbalogan City Police chief Supt. Carlito Abriz said.

The fatalities were both enlisted personnel while the injured comprise two other enlisted men and an officer ranked first lieutenant, Abriz said, declining to name the victims.

They were traveling along the National Highway in Brgy. Lagundi past 7 p.m., when an undetermined number of armed men fired on their truck, Abriz said by phone.

“May mga pumutok sa kanila tapos may sumabog na parang bomba, nasa bundok yung area,” he said.

Police units in the city have been alerted after the incident, Abriz added.

Friday’s attack came just three days after NPA members carried out another ambush that left one soldier dead and three others hurt in Catarman, Northern Samar, on Tuesday. TVJ