Cops, soldiers ambushed in Maguindanao town

(UPDATED - 8:30 pm) A group of policemen and soldiers who were on their way to transport caches of firearms that were seized from the houses and establishments owned by the Ampatuan clan were ambushed by unidentified men in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao Thursday night. The authorities on board a six-vehicle convoy were supposed to take the weapons to General Santos City when the armed men attacked them in the town's Lapu-Lapu village, according to police Senior Supt. Willie Dangane. In an interview later in the evening, Chief Superintendent Felicisimo Khu, head of the group investigating the crime scene of the Maguindanao massacre, told radio dzBB that there were about three armed men who staged the attack. He said the rear portion of one of the six vehicles was hit by bullets. The attackers also threw grenade at the authorities. But no one from the police and the military got hurt in the incident. "Maswerte lang na sa may likod ng patrol car ang tinamaan. Masuwerte rin na hindi tinamaan ang gas tank (We are lucky that only the back portion of the patrol car, and not the gas tank was hit)," Khu said. Five of the six vehicles stopped and sought cover in a military checkpoint near a bridge in the village. The driver of the sixth vehicle, a six-by-six truck, was instructed to go to the Ampatuan municipal hall, which is some 600 meters away from the area where the incident took place. Khu refused to speculate on who was behind the attack. "Huwag muna tayong mag-speculate kung anong grupo (Let us not speculate as to which group is involved)." As of this posting, the shooting has already stopped. Scene of the crime operatives have arrived in the area. - MARK D. MERUEÑAS, GMANews.TV