2 missing soldiers in Basilan clash found alive

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Two of the soldiers reported missing in the aftermath of Tuesday’s clash with Moro rebels in Al-Barka, Basilan were found alive, albeit wounded, the military announced Thursday.

Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Cabangbang, spokesman of the military’s Western Mindanao Command, said the soldiers were separately found in Barangay (village) Cambug late Wednesday and early Thursday.

He said militiamen scouring the village found the second soldier early Thursday, also wounded.

Cabangbang did not release the names of the two soldiers but said they were brought to a military hospital here.

On Wednesday afternoon, the bodies of six soldiers – also among the eightreported missing – were retrieved by the Al-Barka police near Cambug. This brought to 19 the military’s death toll in Tuesday’s clash with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels.

Military officials said all of the soldiers reported missing had been accounted for.