Abus waylay rubber plantation workers; 1 dead, 36 wounded

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines– Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants ambushed a group of rubber plantation workers in Sumisip, Basilan yesterday morning, leaving one dead and at least 36 others wounded, the military said.

Lt. Col. Randolf Cabangbang, spokesman of the Armed Forces’ Western Mindanao Command, said the workers were on their way back to their base from the plantation when they were waylaid at around 11:30 a.m. yesterday in Barangay Sapah Bulak, Sumisip town.

Citing reports, Cabangbang said five of those wounded were in critical condition. 

He said the victims were all rubber tappers of the Tumahubong Agrarian Reforms Beneficiaries Integrated Development Cooperative.

He said two UH-1H Huey helicopters were immediately dispatched to conduct air evacuation of the wounded workers.

“However, due to bad weather the aircraft landed at the headquarters of the Joint Task Force-Basilan,” he said.

He said a US Evergreen helicopter also took off from the Edwin Andrews Air Base based here to help in the air evacuation.

A naval ship was also considered in ferrying the wounded to a hospital here.

Authorities believe that the attack was related to the ambush staged by the Abu Sayyaf last July 11 where five plantation workers were killed and 22 were wounded.        – With Jaime Laude