20 soldiers injured in vehicular accident in Lanao Sur

ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews/29 Jan) -- Twenty soldiers were injured in a vehicular accident in Lanao del Sur Tuesday morning, belated reports said.

But Col. Rey Ardo, commanding officer of 103rd Infantry Brigade based in Camp Ranao in Marawi City, said none of his soldiers died in the accident, contrary to claims by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in its luwaran.com website.

He said that the soldiers suffered only slight injuries.

Ardo, who relayed his report to MindaNews via cellphone because he is in Manila, related that the soldiers were on board a hauler truck passing through the town of Binidayan when the accident happened.

The MILF, quoting witnesses, said four of the soldiers died in the accident. Quoting a "sketchy report," the MILF claimed, too, that seven soldiers died in an ambush in Calanogas town.

Ardo was quick to point out: "There is no ambush in Calanogas. Ergo, none of my soldiers were killed in an ambush that never transpired."

"I really don't care about these lies and fabricated stories," he stressed. (Violeta M. Gloria / MindaNews)