Lorenzana: Military to review use of airstrikes.....
MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Thursday vowed a review and recalibration of the military’s use of air bombing following the death of two more soldiers as he admitted that retaking the remaining villages in Marawi City still in the hands of Islamist militants is proving to be a “challenge.”
In a statement, Lorenzana said that what happened on Wednesday, when two soldiers died after a bomb went off target is a reflection of the “harsh nature” of urban warfare in which soldiers need to fight in close proximity to their enemies.
“What happened yesterday and last month, when several of our Marines inadvertently perished because of a wayward ordnance dropped from an aircraft, reflect the harsh nature of urban warfare where soldiers operate in tight spaces and in close proximity to the enemy,” the Defense secretary said.
Those killed and injured in the May 31 airtstrike were troops from the Army’s 44th Infantry Battalion and 15th Infantry Battalion.
The Defense chief said that he was saddened by the loss of lives to the wayward bomb.
“We reach out to the families and loved ones of the soldiers who lost their lives, and pray for the speedy recovery of those who were injured,” Lorenzana said.
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