From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 8): No need to censure pilots who accidentally hit civilians --PAF
Philippine Air Force spokesperson Col. Miguel Ernesto Okol said on Wednesday there is no need to discipline the pilots of the MG-520 "Defender" attack helicopter who accidentally hit two civilians while attacking a group of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits last Sunday.
He explained that the pilots were doing their duty when ordered by Army controllers to fire on the brigands.
Okol added that there were no reports from the Army spotters that there were civilians on the target area at the time of the strike.
"Our pilots merely did their duty and they were directed by our ground controllers in their attack run. At that time, there was no information that there were any civilians in the target area," he stressed.
While it was unfortunate that two minors were hurt in the air strike, the PAF spokesperson expressed his regrets and said that such things happened due to the "fog of war."
"No one wants to hurt innocent civilians, especially our pilots," he added.
Okol also said that at the time of the strike, the bandits were firing on the military aircraft in a bid to throw off the pilots' aim.
The air strike was ordered after military spotter teams sighted 11 ASG men picnicking in the vicinity of Sibubong sandbars, southwest of Barangay Bato-Bato, Albarka, Basilan, last Jan. 5.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=602963
Philippine Air Force spokesperson Col. Miguel Ernesto Okol said on Wednesday there is no need to discipline the pilots of the MG-520 "Defender" attack helicopter who accidentally hit two civilians while attacking a group of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits last Sunday.
He explained that the pilots were doing their duty when ordered by Army controllers to fire on the brigands.
Okol added that there were no reports from the Army spotters that there were civilians on the target area at the time of the strike.
"Our pilots merely did their duty and they were directed by our ground controllers in their attack run. At that time, there was no information that there were any civilians in the target area," he stressed.
While it was unfortunate that two minors were hurt in the air strike, the PAF spokesperson expressed his regrets and said that such things happened due to the "fog of war."
"No one wants to hurt innocent civilians, especially our pilots," he added.
Okol also said that at the time of the strike, the bandits were firing on the military aircraft in a bid to throw off the pilots' aim.
The air strike was ordered after military spotter teams sighted 11 ASG men picnicking in the vicinity of Sibubong sandbars, southwest of Barangay Bato-Bato, Albarka, Basilan, last Jan. 5.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=602963