1 dead, 3 hurt in Davao Sur landmine blast

An Army soldier was killed while three of comrades were wounded following a landmine explosion in the southern Philippine province of Davao del Sur early Wednesday afternoon, a provincial police director said Thursday. Citing field reports, Senior Superintendent Ronald dela Rosa, Davao del Sur police chief, said the incident occurred at 2 p.m. in Barangay [village] Sibulan in Sta. Cruz town. At the time, troops from the 1002nd Brigade Reconnaissance Company were clearing the vicinity in connection with a forthcoming peace and development outreach program in the area, Dela Rosa said. As of posting time, it could not be ascertained who planted the landmine although authorities have been blaming communist insurgents over similar explosions in the past. The wounded soldiers were taken to a local hospital for treatment. — RSJ, GMA News