3 soldiers killed in NPA ambush in Davao City

Three government soldiers were killed while another one was injured in an ambush staged by communist rebels in Davao City on Saturday, a military spokesman said. Capt. Emmanuel Garcia, spokesman of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, said the troops from the Army's 69th Infantry Battalion were attacked by New People's Army (NPA) rebels near a civilian community at the village of Baracatan in Toril district around 12 noon. “The ambush shows the treachery and utter disregard of the NPA to human lives particularly to civilians who might have been hit by bullets coming from them as there were houses a few hundred meters away," he said. Garcia withheld the identities of the slain troops pending the notification of their families. The official said the attack was as “reckless and treacherous" as the May 12 ambush of government troops who were escorting election officers and poll watchers in Maragusan town in Compostela Valley. Four soldiers, an election officer and a poll watcher died in that attack. The death of the civilian victim promoted communist leaders to seek a public apology, which the military dismissed. “Fortunately for our people, no civilian was injured in today’s attack but it claimed the lives of three government troops and wounded another one 3 govt troops and wounded another one belonging to 69th IB who have been securing our people in Baracatan," Garcia said. - KBK, GMANews.tv