Moro Muslim Fighters Kills 11 Soldiers

A powerful roadside bomb planted by suspected MILF freedom fighters killed eleven (11) soldiers, eight (8) died instantly and three (3) others later while being treated at Awang Airport Hospital in Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao. The powerful bomb completely destroyed an Army 6x6 vehicle, jampacked with soldiers belonging to 75th Infantry Battalion, under the command of a certain Major Ulama.

The soldiers were conducting operation against MILF forces with 105 Base Command under Ameril Umbra Kato, who carries a P10 million bounty on his head.

The roadside bomb, reported to have been detonated by a remote control, took place in Tukanalipao in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao at around 10:00 am on October 11, 2008.

However, the military admitted onlyseven (7) government soldiers wounded in the blast. It is military standard operating procedure (SOP) not to report their exact casualties in order not to demoralize other soldiers.

No casualty was reported on the MILF side, saying that only person is required to detonate a powerful roadside bomb.

Immediately after the killer blast, government soldiers subjected suspected MILF positions with intense and indiscriminate shelling using 105mm howitzers, 81mm mortars, and 60mm mortars. The military also warned civilians of Kalipapa, Datu Piang, Maguindanao to get out of the area until 4:00pm today, saying they are arraying a big force to attack suspected member of the MILF responsible for the blast. The military also burned four (4) houses in Leong, the same town, yesterday.

This is the second roadside bomb that incurred severe losses on government soldiers in barely a month interval. On September 29, 25 Army soldiers were killed while their convoy was passing by the boundary of Madia and Pagatin in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town in Maguindanao. In addition to the soldiers slain, one military truck, one hammer truck and one Simba tank were damaged.

The soldiers belonged to the 54th Infantry Battalion.

Most of the soldiers aboard the 6x6 military were killed instantly. The vehicle was in total wreckage.

In retaliation, the soldiers burned 43 Moro houses in said two villages.