CHR launches prove into killing of three soldiers

MANILA: Investigations into the killing of three soldiers in Al-Barka, Basilan, allegedly by Abu Sayyaf terrorists, has been launched by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).

The victims were reportedly ambushed, by at least six suspected Abu Sayyaf terrorists, as they were on their way to replace another group of soldiers manning a detachment of the Army’s 18th Infantry Battalion, Philstar.com reported.

“The CHR denounces any arbitrary attack that violates the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and tramples on the right to life,” CHR executive director Jacqueline Ann de Guia said in a press statement on Sunday.

“In the context of armed hostilities, disproportionate and indiscriminate use of force is prohibited under IHL. Belligerent armed groups and rogue elements that commit human rights abuses must be pursued and held accountable to ensure justice and to uphold the rule of law,” De Guia added.

The ambush allegedly occurred in Barangay Magcawa near the town hall of Al-Barka on Sept 15, around 1.45pm.

The firefight lasted 10 minutes after which it ended with two soldiers fatally suffering gunshots to the head, while the third was shot in the abdomen.

The CHR vowed to continue calling for solutions to end the cycle of violence and acts of terror in conflict-torn areas in Mindanao.

NST