ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Aug. 8, 2012) – At least 5 government soldiers and civilians were killed and more than two dozen others wounded in a fire fight with gunmen late Wednesday in Marawi City in the Muslim province of Lanao del Sur in southern Philippines, officials said.
Officials said the fighting broke out after armed men opened fire on soldiers who were responding to automatic gun fires at the state-run Mindanao State University (MSU).
The soldiers, who belong to the 64th Infantry Battalion, came under fire as they drove near the school, and the attack sparked a fire fight which lasted for hours.
“Three soldiers were killed and ten others are wounded and we are pursuing the gunmen,” Col. Daniel Lucero, commander of the 103rd Infantry Brigade, told the Mindanao Examiner.
He said two civilians, including a 10-year old boy, were also killed and at least 20 mostly students wounded in the cross-fire.
Lucero said the gunmen are believed to be members of a drug syndicate. “They could be high on illegal drugs,” he said.
Military reports said most of the gunmen are members of a private armed group headed by relatives of a politician.
Lanao del Sur is one of five provinces under the Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao. There were no immediate statements from the local, provincial or regional governments about the fighting. (Mindanao Examiner)
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