ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) has ordered intensified security and pursuit operations in Basilan following two ambushes that left one soldier dead and 19 others wounded within three days.
Maj. Gen. Jose Vladimir Cagara, acting Westmincom commander, gave military commanders two weeks to produce results in tracking down those responsible for the attacks.
Cagara issued the directive during a meeting Friday, October 9, with officials of the 11th Infantry Division, brigade commanders, and battalion commanders to assess the security situation in the province.
He instructed troops to strengthen pursuit operations, secure main supply routes, improve coordination with local government units, and activate intelligence networks to prevent further attacks.
The military was also directed to reinforce operational security measures to reduce the vulnerability of troops during movements.
“Protecting civilians remains our top priority, particularly after two civilians were wounded during an incident the previous night,” Cagara said.
On October 8, armed men ambushed soldiers traveling from Lamitan City port to the headquarters of the 45th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Sabong, Lamitan City.
One soldier was killed and six others were wounded. A 10-year-old boy and his father, who were traveling in another vehicle, were also injured by stray bullets.
The attack followed an October 5 ambush in Barangay Badja, Tipo-Tipo, Basilan, which wounded 13 soldiers from the same battalion.
Brig. Gen. Frederick Sales, commander of the 1101st Infantry Brigade, identified the group led by Saddam Siddick as responsible for both attacks.
Siddick is the husband of Nermalyn Musa, who was killed during a law enforcement operation in Barangay Baimbing, Lamitan City, on September 29. Musa had been facing arrest warrants for three counts of murder.
Cagara said investigators were looking into the possibility that the attacks were carried out in retaliation for Musa’s death.
However, he cautioned against interpreting the incidents as evidence that Siddick’s group had become a major security threat.
He attributed the group’s recent attacks partly to its mobility, familiarity with the terrain, and ability to exploit opportunities during troop movements.
Cagara also said the attacks did not necessarily indicate that the group was deliberately targeting the 45th Infantry Battalion, noting that the soldiers may have been targets of opportunity.
Despite the incidents, the Westmincom commander maintained that Basilan remains generally peaceful and free of the Abu Sayyaf Group.
He described the recent ambushes as the actions of a criminal group rather than evidence of a broader deterioration in the province’s security situation.
