MANILA, Philippines鈥擳he six soldiers of the Army鈥檚 Joint Special Operations Group who were killed in Sulu last month died not because of fighting with the Abu Sayyaf but with friendly howitzer fire, a military investigation revealed.
鈥淭he Western Mindanao Command has a Board of Inquiry on the incident that happened in Sulu wherein six soldiers were killed and it was found out that they died of friendly fire,鈥� military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala told reporters on Thursday.
The elite soldiers were supposed to reinforce the Marine Force Reconnaissance that was attacked by the Al-Qaeda linked militants last June 19 in Kaya village in Patikul town. The ambush killed one Marine officer and wounded 11 others.
Zagala could say in detail how the soldiers were killed, but confirmed that it was indeed a 105mm howitzer from the Marines that claimed their lives.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not intentional and it was an accident on the part of those who delivered fires. These things really happen; these are the realities of combat. Because of combat stress, mistakes were made,鈥� Zagala said.
AFP Chief General Emmanuel Bautista, who received the report last Monday, was 鈥渟addened鈥� with the findings.
It is up to the Chief of Staff to decide whether military personnel in the blunder will be held accountable, depending on the recommendations of the investigating body.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 mean that those who [were killed] died for no reason. They are still part of our campaign against the Abu Sayyaf Group,鈥� Zagala said.
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