Intruder sparks Sulu Army camp shooting
04/08/2007 | 04:24 PM
(Update) An intruder sparked the shooting inside an Army camp in a remote village in Parang town, Sulu, on Black Saturday, that left nine soldiers and a civilian dead, a military spokesman reported Sunday.
Army spokesman Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres said investigators were still looking into the circumstances of the shooting incident but he theorized that the unidentified civilian who died in the shooting was behind the attack.
Torres said the incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. inside the command post of the Charlie Company of the 35th Infantry Battalion in Barangay (village) Silangkan. He said the camp was manned by a platoon composed of around 30 men.
After being alerted about the incident, 35th IB commander Lt. Col. Jose Faustino and his men went to the camp and were met with gunfire. During clearing operations, Torres said the bodies of nine soldiers and a civilian were found.
“There was a firefight, an exchange of gunfire. When the battalion commander reinforced to the area after it (incident) was reported to him, they were also fired upon," Torres said, citing sketchy reports.
Torres said when the shooting stopped, troops conducted clearing operations and saw 10 bodies. He said a soldier and the wife of one of the slain soldiers were wounded.
Torres said it was pitch dark when the “shooting incident" erupted and that the camp had no power. “To give you a picture of the camp, there was no electricity at the time incident occurred," the official said.
Torres downplayed the possibility that the Abu Sayyaf Group had a hand in the incident, saying that they are trying to identify the slain civilian, who allegedly started the firefight.
“The slain unidentified civilian might have an involvement. As of the moment, we are investigating it…We are looking into other possibilities…," said Torres.
Unconfirmed reports said a civilian walked into the camp and grabbed the rifle of one of
the soldiers and fired indiscriminately. The civilian was later shot to death by soldiers.
On its Web site (www.luwaran.com), the Moro Islamic Liberation Front quoted an unnamed religious leader as saying that the civilian “ran amuck and attacked the detachment." It said the civilian was armed with an M-16 rifle.
The MILF said the civilian ran amuck “because of his hatred and anger toward the military" assigned in the area. It said four of the slain soldiers were former Moro National Liberation Front rebels who were integrated into the ranks of the military.
Torres dismissed other reports that indicated that it was a soldier who ran amuck and triggered the incident. “I’ve been hearing a lot of conflicting statements. Let us
just wait for the results of the investigation…Its still under investigation," he said.
The Army spokesman said the investigation is being spearheaded by the 104th Brigade based in Jolo town, also in Sulu. “Let us refer to it as a shooting incident…while the investigation is still ongoing," he said.
Torres said the remaining troops assigned with the company at the time of the incident are being recalled to the battalion headquarters in Bud Datu “to support the ongoing investigation." He said he will issue another statement on the matter soon.- GMANews.TV
Army spokesman Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres said investigators were still looking into the circumstances of the shooting incident but he theorized that the unidentified civilian who died in the shooting was behind the attack.
Torres said the incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. inside the command post of the Charlie Company of the 35th Infantry Battalion in Barangay (village) Silangkan. He said the camp was manned by a platoon composed of around 30 men.
After being alerted about the incident, 35th IB commander Lt. Col. Jose Faustino and his men went to the camp and were met with gunfire. During clearing operations, Torres said the bodies of nine soldiers and a civilian were found.
“There was a firefight, an exchange of gunfire. When the battalion commander reinforced to the area after it (incident) was reported to him, they were also fired upon," Torres said, citing sketchy reports.
Torres said when the shooting stopped, troops conducted clearing operations and saw 10 bodies. He said a soldier and the wife of one of the slain soldiers were wounded.
Torres said it was pitch dark when the “shooting incident" erupted and that the camp had no power. “To give you a picture of the camp, there was no electricity at the time incident occurred," the official said.
Torres downplayed the possibility that the Abu Sayyaf Group had a hand in the incident, saying that they are trying to identify the slain civilian, who allegedly started the firefight.
“The slain unidentified civilian might have an involvement. As of the moment, we are investigating it…We are looking into other possibilities…," said Torres.
Unconfirmed reports said a civilian walked into the camp and grabbed the rifle of one of
the soldiers and fired indiscriminately. The civilian was later shot to death by soldiers.
On its Web site (www.luwaran.com), the Moro Islamic Liberation Front quoted an unnamed religious leader as saying that the civilian “ran amuck and attacked the detachment." It said the civilian was armed with an M-16 rifle.
The MILF said the civilian ran amuck “because of his hatred and anger toward the military" assigned in the area. It said four of the slain soldiers were former Moro National Liberation Front rebels who were integrated into the ranks of the military.
Torres dismissed other reports that indicated that it was a soldier who ran amuck and triggered the incident. “I’ve been hearing a lot of conflicting statements. Let us
just wait for the results of the investigation…Its still under investigation," he said.
The Army spokesman said the investigation is being spearheaded by the 104th Brigade based in Jolo town, also in Sulu. “Let us refer to it as a shooting incident…while the investigation is still ongoing," he said.
Torres said the remaining troops assigned with the company at the time of the incident are being recalled to the battalion headquarters in Bud Datu “to support the ongoing investigation." He said he will issue another statement on the matter soon.- GMANews.TV
