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DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/9 Aug) – Three soldiers and two civilians, including a 10-year-old boy, were killed while 30 others, mostly students, were wounded when gunmen believed to be members of a private armed group attacked an Army patrol inside the state-run Mindanao State University in Marawi City Tuesday night.
Col. Daniel Lucero, Chief of the 103rd Infantry Brigade, said the gunmen first ambushed an Army truck as it went inside the university near the Ayala Compound around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, killing the three soldiers and wounding 10 others.
An ensuing firefight raged for several minutes as the wounded soldiers fought back at the gunmen who positioned themselves along the road leading to the University.
Lucero said 20 civilians, mostly students were caught in the cross fire, resulting to the death of one civilian at the hospital.
After staging the ambush, Lucero said the gunmen attacked another Army base guarding the Agus hydro dam in downtown Marawi City.
He said the 10-year-old boy was killed in the crossfire while another soldier was wounded.
Lucero said the gunmen were out to seek revenge against the soldiers of the 6thth Infantry Battalion for the killing of one of their members last month.
“Many of these members are young and I will not be surprised if they are on drugs because of the ferocity of the attacks, “ Lucero said.
Lucero did not identify the politician coddling the armed gunmen pending their investigation. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)