More troops pursue gunmen in Bukidnon ambush

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY: The regional police command in Northern Mindanao on Saturday ordered the deployment of more troops to a town in Bukidnon to pursue the suspects in the ambush of a police vehicle last Thursday

Supt. Lemuel Gonda, spokesman for the police regional command, said Region 10 regional director, Chief Supt. Timoteo Pacleb, issued the order after the team sent to investigate the ambush site in Talakag town on Friday morning was also waylaid.

“However, nobody was hurt on the government side in the armed encounter which lasted for about 15 minutes. The police team also recovered empty shells of AK-47 and improvised explosive device in the ambush site,” Gonda added.

He said the police regional command ordered the deployment of personnel from the regional police service battalion in Cagayan De Oro City and Bukidnon to coordinate with the military in pursuing the armed group.

The armed group of about 20, believed to be members of the New People’s Army, ambushed the Mahindra patrol car of Bumbaran town in Lanao del Sur while on its way to Wao town on Thursday afternoon.

Gonda said the civilian casualties were on board a Silver Toyota Frontier (UNI 707) which happened to tail the police patrol car when the incident took place adding that the civilian vehicle became “collateral damage.”

A four-month-old baby girl, Malysha Ma Carillo were killed in the ambuscade.

Five others, three civilians and two police station – were wounded in the attack.