PHILIPPINES: Landmine kills two U.S. servicemen and one Filipino marine in Philippines

Record ID: 724108

  • Title: PHILIPPINES: Landmine kills two U.S. servicemen and one Filipino marine in Philippines
  • Date: 30th September 2009
  • Summary: MANILA, PHILIPPINES (SEPTEMBER 29, 2009) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) COLONEL ROMEO BRAWNER, SPOKESMAN, ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES, SAYING: "There was a roadside improvised explosive device attack on a U.S. military convoy. And as a result of this, two U.S. soldiers died and one member of the Philippine Marines died in that attack." BRAWNER POINTING AT JOLO ISLAND, LOCATION OF EXPLOSION, ON PHILIPPINE MAP JOLO ISLAND ON MAP BRAWNER POINTING (SOUNDBITE) (English) COLONEL ROMEO BRAWNER, SPOKESMAN, ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES, SAYING: "The U.S. soldiers were on a non-combat mission. In fact they were on a humanitarian and developmental mission, because they were there to resupply the U.S. troops who were supervising the building of school buildings and artesian wells in the area."
  • Embargoed: 15th October 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Philippines
  • Country: Philippines
  • Topics: Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVA8X5PETQ2NESHR6CY7EEUNTNHM
  • Story Text: Two U.S. navy men and one Filipino marine are killed in a landmine attack in a stronghold of Al Qaeda-linked militants in the southern Philippines.
    Two U.S. Navy servicemen and one Filipino marine were killed on Tuesday (September 29) in a landmine attack in a stronghold of Islamic militants in the southern Philippines, officials said.
    Philippine army spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Romeo Brawner said two other Filipino soldiers were wounded when the vehicle they were riding in struck an improvised landmine near Indanan town on the island of Jolo.
    "There was a roadside improvised explosive device attack on a U.S. military convoy. And as a result of this, two U.S. soldiers died and one member of the Philippine Marines died in that attack," Brawner told Reuters.
    These were the first deaths since 2002 among U.S. forces deployed in the southern Philippines. In that year, one soldier in a restaurant was killed by a bomb on a motorcycle parked outside.
    Brawner said the two U.S. Seabees -- members of the U.S. Navy's construction battalion -- were in a convoy of vehicles returning to base after inspecting humanitarian projects in the area when the landmine detonated.
    "The U.S. soldiers were on a non-combat mission. In fact they were on a humanitarian and developmental mission, because they were there to resupply the U.S. troops who were supervising the building of school buildings and artesian wells in the area," he said.
    U.S. troops are deployed in the Philippines under the Visiting Forces Agreement between the two countries. On Tuesday, the Philippine Senate sent a non-binding resolution to the government calling for its re-negotiation.
    Brawner said the military was still investigating on who was behind the attack, which happened near a Marine outpost.
    Jolo is one of the strongholds of the Abu Sayyaf, the smallest but deadliest of the Islamist militant groups in the Philippines. It has links with Al Qaeda and the regional group Jemaah Islamiah.
    "There have been threats in the island, especially on U.S. servicemen and other foreigners. That is why we have increased also, we have enhanced our security operations in the area," Brawner said.
    Senators led by Miriam Defensor-Santiago, a political ally of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, argued the VFA was a one-sided deal in favour of Washington.
    The senators said the VFA had not been beneficial to the Philippines because the United States failed to provided enough aid to modernise the country's military capabilities. It also did not guarantee the rights of Filipinos in criminal cases filed against U.S. troops.
    They also cited media reports that claimed U.S. troops deployed in the southern Philippines had engaged in combat with Abu Sayyaf rebels in violation of the agreement, which only provides for training and logistical support to Filipino troops.
    The U.S. embassy in Manila issued a statement confirming the death of two servicemen, but withheld their identities pending notification of the next of kin.
    U.S. Ambassador Kristie Kenny said the embassy will always be grateful for their contributions to improve the quality of life on Jolo.
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