Troops from the 51st Division Reconnaissance Company (DRC) and the 50th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine army were on their way back to their tactical command posts in Pinukpuk when the attack happened. The troops just came from a bayanihan operation in Poswoy, Balbalan.
According to the information office of the Kalinga Police, the soldiers were aboard two trucks and were traversing a road when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated and hit the trucks. A firefight ensued which lasted for more or less two hours. The AFP estimates that they may have encountered around 30 armed men.
The three fatalities were identified as:
1. Private First Class (PFC) Bryan Massagan of Lubo, Tanudan, Kalinga
2. Sergeant Benjie Palliw of Pinukpuk, Kalinga
3. Sergeant Daryl Amiling of Lubuagan, Kalinga
Those wounded were:
1. PFC Lunes Ambatang
2. PFC Ryan Guerrero
3. Corporal Diony Patacsil
4. PFC Raymund Vasquez
5. PFC Jomar Gammad
6. PFC Gilbert Ramirez of Rosario,Cervantes Ilocos Sur
7. PFC Nestor Roque Jr of Cabaruguis,Quirino
8. PFC Dante Mauricio of Ilagan Isabela
9. PFC Henry Coloma of Angadanan,Isabela
10. PFC Richard Bartolome of Isabela
11. PFC Johnson Carig of Echague,Isabela
12. PFC Jose Gayudan
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| Image credit: Zajega via Flickr. (License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) |
