An ambush targeting a convoy of the Philippine Army’s 45th Infantry Battalion in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan, is being investigated as a possible retaliation for a previous military operation in the area.
As reported by DZRH's Edniel Parrosa, the Police Regional Office Bangsamoro said the ambush may have been linked to the death of Nermalyn Salapuddin Musa, identified as the second wife of Saddam Siddick, the province’s No. 1 most wanted person and alleged leader of the armed group behind the attack.
Musa, who was reportedly a member of Dawlah Islamiya, was among those authorities intended to serve with an arrest warrant for murder in Lamitan City. The operation on September 29, however, resulted in a bloody encounter that left her dead.
The 11th Infantry Division confirmed that its troops were ambushed in Barangay Badja shortly before 8 a.m. Three soldiers were reportedly hit by gunfire in the head, while others sustained gunshot wounds in different parts of their bodies.
Nine of the casualties were Army personnel holding ranks from Private First Class to Second Lieutenant, while one was a CAFGU auxiliary.
The military has deployed additional troops to the area to secure its personnel and nearby communities following the attack.
