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ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/7 September) – A rubber plantation worker was killed while 36 others were wounded in an ambush staged by suspected Abu Sayyaf members in Basilan, a military official disclosed Friday.
Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang, Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) spokesman, said the victims were workers of the Tumahubong Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Integrated Development Cooperative (TARBIDC). They were ambush around 11:30 a.m. at Block 26, Barangay Sapah Bulak in the municipality of Sumisip.
Cabangbang said the victims were aboard a TARBIDC-owned truck on the way home when ambushed.
He said the helicopter servicing the troops of the United States Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) based in this city airlifted 5 of the 36 wounded victims, who were declared in critical condition.
The ambush on TARBIDC rubber plantation workers was the third this year.
The first was staged April 5 at Block 29 also in Barangay Tumahubong, wherein three militiamen providing security to the rubber tappers were killed while seven workers were wounded.
The second incident happened July 11 wherein six people, including a militiaman, were killed while 21 others were wounded. The workers, escorted by militiamen, were aboard a TARBIDC-owned vehicle traveling to their worksite in barangay Sapa Bulak coming from barangay Tumahubong when ambushed. (MindaNews)