More soldiers wounded in Basilan ambush; 3 critically hurt

PAGADIAN  CITY – An ambush of a military convoy in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan, on Monday morning wounded four more soldiers from the 45th Infantry Battalion, as well as a member of the Civilian Armed Auxiliary (CAA), raising the number of injured to 11.

Joint Task Force Orion reported that troops from the 45th Infantry Battalion (45IB) were traversing the road in Barangay Badja at around 7:45 a.m. when the assailants opened fire on their vehicles.

Earlier this morning, authorities reported that only six soldiers were wounded in the ambush.

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Brig. Gen. Frederick Sales, commander of the 1101st Infantry “Gagandilan” Brigade, told the Inquirer that Lt. Col. Franco Baylon, 45IB commanding officer, led the convoy.

The group—comprising three KM450 military trucks and three civilian vehicles—was en route from Tipo-Tipo to the 1101st Brigade headquarters in Barangay Tabiawan, Isabela City, via Lamitan City when they were attacked at Sitio Bauno Dagao in Barangay Badja.

Of the wounded, three were reported in critical condition.

The wounded personnel were initially brought to a medical facility in neighboring Lamitan City for immediate care.

By 9 a.m., military authorities dispatched a Black Hawk helicopter to airlift the three critical patients to Camp Navarro General Hospital in Zamboanga City for further treatment./coa