ILIGAN CITY — Police and military are now conducting parallel investigations on the killing of two soldiers and wounding of another five in Lanao del Sur on Christmas Eve. Colonel Madzgani Mukaram, Lanao del Sur police director, said the separate probes by the Army and police aim to establish the flow and the motive of Tuesday’s incident, especially on its likely connection to the attack against a police officer on Monday evening. ADVERTISEMENTA news release from the Army’s 1st Infantry Division (1ID) said the attack on the soldiers of the 55th Infantry Battalion occurred around 7 a.m. Tuesday in Pagayawan, Lanao del Sur. Lassam, himself, opened fire on his fellow soldiers while they were on their way to the ambush area, according to the 4th ID. Because of Monday’s ambush of Macalangan and Tuesday’s attack on the soldiers, Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr. has reiterated his earlier call to have the state of martial law extended, even if only in Lanao del Sur.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 25, 2019 09:22 UTC