Civilians hurt in South Upi ambush incident

COTABATO CITY --- Four civilians were wounded when gunmen ambushed a convoy of relief workers from an outreach mission for conflict-stricken villagers in South Upi, Maguindanao Sunday afternoon. 

Among those hurt in the 2 p.m. attack were members of the South Upi municipal disaster risk reduction and management council, according to incumbent municipal councilors now attending to the needs of the victims. 

Three of the injured civilians were immediately rushed to a hospital here from South Upi, about 60 kilometers away. 

Local officials and senior members of the municipal police said South Upi Mayor Reynalbert Insular, who was also in the convoy, survived the ambush unscathed.        

Members of the South Upi municipal peace and order council said the victims were on their way to the town center of Upi from a relief mission in Barangay Itaw when gunmen positioned at one side of the road in Sitio Panang in Barangay Pandan opened fire.

Gunmen attacked Barangay Itaw on New Year’s Eve and set on fire houses of ethnic Tedurays in the area before retreating to hinterlands nearby.

The incident displaced dozens of ethnic Teduray families in Barangay Itaw.

The Army’s 6^th Infantry Division immediately dispatched soldiers to rescue the ambush victims and rush them to hospitals.

Major Gen. Juvymax Uy, commander of the Army’s 6^th Infantry Division, said Sunday personnel of the 57^th Infantry Battalion were quick to respond and help in the rescue of the ambush victims.

Residents confirmed to reporters that attack helicopters fired machineguns and rockets at the ambushers fleeing from Barangay Pandan.

Pursuing combatants from the 57^th IB also fired mortars at the gunmen proceeding towards the upland border of South Upi and Maguindanao’s nearby Talayan, Datu Saudi and Datu Unsay towns in Maguindanao.