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| Southeast Asia |
| Friendly fire, not Abu Sayyaf, killed Philippine troops |
| 2014-07-12 |
| A military spokesman has confessed that "friendly fire", not Abu Sayyaf militants, killed six Philippine marines including a junior officer during heavy fighting on the island province of Sulu in Mindanao last month. Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala said, "Based on the military’s BOI (Board of Inquiry) findings submitted by the Western Mindanao Command...the unfortunate incident was a result of friendly fire." Earlier, the military reported that an Army lieutenant and five of his men were killed by a mortar round fired by the Abu Sayyaf in a fierce battle in the town of Patikul on June 19. Zagala said the operation was launched in an attempt to recover the remaining kidnap-for-ransom victims still being held hostage by the rebels. During the inquiry, investigators had established it was "friendly fire" that killed the soldiers when they recovered from the site a shattered shell of a 105mm howitzer. Zagala said, "It was not intentional. The unfortunate incident, which usually happens because of combat fatigue and confusion on the ground especially during heavy fighting, do happen with modern armies around the world. We look upon our colleagues who were killed equally as heroes because they are out there manning their position as part of their ongoing anti-terror operation." The investigation showed that the marines called for support amid the heavy fighting. Zagala said the support came in the form of 105mm howitzer rounds, with one wayward round landing and exploding at the forward command post. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #3 They have old and damp ammunition. The very best their 105's would reach is 4k, 105's max effective range is 6k. About every 5th round would land short, really short. They normally compensated by having the 105's on a flank. But not this time, sad. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2014-07-12 10:59 |
| #2 with one wayward round landing and exploding at the forward command post. Tragic, but it happens to even the best soldiers, in war and in training. Looks like an appropriate response by command. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2014-07-12 07:39 |
| #1 AbuSyaff, or whatever.... cowards and girly men |
| Posted by: 746 2014-07-12 00:29 |