TWO soldiers were killed while another was wounded in an ambush in a remote area in Basilan province, the military said Saturday, April 12, 2025.
The military identified the fatalities as Sergeant Reymark Bation and Corporal Jordan Daquipel of the 18th Infantry Battalion’s (18IB) Charlie Company.
Wounded was Coporal Richivie Flores, who was brought to Lamitan District Hospital for medical treatment.
Colonel J-Jay Javines, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) spokesman, said the victims were ambushed around 4:24 p.m. Friday, April 11, in Duga-a village, Tuburan, Basilan.
Javines said the victims were riding on a motorcycle coming from Duga-a Patrol Base on the way to the command post of the 18IB’s Charlie Company in Lahi-Lahi village when waylaid by a group of gunmen.
The perpetrators fled in a north direction from the ambush site after the incident. Recovered in the area were several empty shells of an M-16 Armalite rifle.
Charlie Company troops rushed to the ambush site and rushed Flores to the hospital as well as retrieved the remains of Bation and Daquipel.
Another platoon of troops was deployed to pursue the perpetrators of the ambush.
Javines said all checkpoints have been alerted and intelligence efforts were intensified to track down the perpetrators. (SunStar Zamboanga)