A drug buy-bust operation in Sultan Kudarat turned deadly on Thursday, leaving two police officers dead and four others injured in a bloody exchange of gunfire.
The operation, led by the Police Drug Enforcement Group – Special Operations Unit Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PDEG-SOU-BAR), unfolded in Crossing Simuay, Sultan Kudarat. Authorities identified the slain officers as PCpl. Roselyn Bulias and Patrolman Kirt Sipin, who both sustained fatal gunshot wounds to the head.
According to PDEG, the officers were conducting a transaction with suspected drug dealers Suhod Kasim and Ting Katulangan when the suspects allegedly realized they were dealing with undercover police. The suspects immediately opened fire, killing the two officers.
The gunfight escalated, resulting in injuries to two more officers, Patrolman Jonel Ramos and Eddie Sugarol, as well as to the two suspects. All the injured individuals were rushed to a public hospital for treatment, while the bodies of the fallen officers were also taken to the same facility.
Despite the violence, authorities managed to seize one kilogram of shabu during the operation, a significant haul in the ongoing fight against illegal drugs in the region.
