ZAMBOANGA CITY: Unidentified gunmen opened fire on a group of Army soldiers, killing one and wounding two others in the Muslim province of Basilan in the southern Philippines, officials said on Tuesday.

Officials said that the soldiers, who belong to the 55th Engineer Brigade, were heading back to their base when gunmen attacked them on Monday afternoon in the village of Amaloy in Tipo-Tipo town.

Maj. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz 3rd, commander of the regional army, said that the soldiers were sent to Basilan to help the local government implement its infrastructure projects and also serves as first responder in disaster relief and rescue operations in the province.

He said that among those killed was Pfc. Jalil Ahung, a revered Islamic teacher who always led his fellow Muslim soldiers in prayers.

“Army engineers are non-combat units whose job is to help our countrymen in far-flung and depressed areas and help implement various infrastructure projects—schools, bridges, housing, health centers and many more—but this incident will not stop us from pursuing peace and development projects in Basilan and elsewhere,” Cruz said.

In September, the 55th Engineer Brigade handed over to Basilan officials a completed 38-unit Day Care Center project, which was part of the stimulus fund of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.