Two soldiers of the Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion were killed in an early evening ambush in Maguindanao del Norte on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
Capt. Steffi Salanguit, spokesperson of Police Regional Office-Bangasmoro Autonomous Region, citing police reports from Maguindanao del Norte police provincial office, identified the victims as Private First Class Jobert C Labuson and Private First Class Johnmark C Dumaguing, both members of Bravo Company, 7th IB.
They were pronounced dead on arrival at the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center in Cotabato City.
The off’ duty soldiers were riding tandem on motorcycle heading to a store to buy food at about 6:10 p.m. when attacked by suspects on board separate motorbike along portions of Davao-Cotabato national highway, specifically in Barnagay Ladia, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte.
ýýResponding police found empty shells for caliber .45 pistol based on empty casing found at the ambush site.
Salanguit said the motive for the attack and the identities of the perpetrators are still being determined