BASILAN, Philippines – Around 300 individuals were displaced while a rubber tapper was wounded when a heavy firefight ensued between government forces and a group of armed men at around 1 pm Friday, June 16, in Barangay Materling, Ungkaya Pukan, in the province of Basilan.
This was confirmed by Police Major Alphad Osalli, chief of Ungkaya Pukan Municipal Police Station (MPS), who said that the gun battle lasted until 2 pm, when the armed men withdrew toward an unknown direction.
This paved the way for the immediate evacuation of the displaced individuals in coordination with Municipal Social Welfare Development Officer Nursira Estajal together with Municipal Administrator Madznur Maturan.
Osalli said the internally displaced persons from barangays Materling, Bohe-Suyak, and Lower Ulitan were temporarily housed in Ma’ahad Darul Ulum before they proceeded to their respective relatives in the neighboring villages.
At around 2:30 pm, the patrol team was conducting a chokepoint operation at the crossing of Materling when the wounded rubber tapper identified as Aragon Sajid Abon, 38, was taken to the Ungkaya Pukan Rural Health Unit.
Authorities conducted a briefing at around 4 pm to harmonize the armed encounters, reduce casualties, avoid escalation of hostilities, and promote peace.
Early on, another group of unidentified armed men attacked a detachment of the Army’s Scout Rangers also in Ungkaya Pukan, as confirmed by Basilan Provincial Police Director Colonel Carlos Madronio. No casualty was reported. – Rappler.com
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