Bachok: As the nation marks the 219th Police Day, a former Police Field Force (PPH) personnel has recounted a harrowing ambush by communist insurgents in 1972, in which a fellow personnel was brutally killed.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Mohd Yusof Shaharun, 77, said the incident during Ops Gubir near Pedu Dam on May 16, 1972, remains etched in his memory, particularly the moment a wounded sergeant was repeatedly stabbed in the chest by insurgents. Mohd Yusof recalled that the sergeant, despite being shot, continued to resist, which infuriated the attackers, leading them to shoot and stab him multiple times.

Mohd Yusof, who was then a constable with B Company, Battalion 11, recounted sustaining three gunshot wounds to the thigh, arm, and side of the head during the ambush. He described an unsettling feeling before the attack, noting the team's multiple vehicle changes during their journey. As they traversed a hilly area, the insurgents launched a grenade and followed it with a barrage of gunfire, during which Mohd Yusof was incapacitated.

He further shared that two other teammates, including a truck driver, lost their lives in the attack. Believing Mohd Yusof to be dead, the insurgents removed his ammunition. The attackers wielded M13 weapons, while Mohd Yusof and his team were equipped with SLR rifles. Remarkably, a bullet remains lodged in his thigh to this day.

Mohd Yusof retired in 1987 as a lance corporal at the Pasir Mas district police headquarters (IPD). In recognition of his service and sacrifices, the Bachok IPD conducted a 'Lawatan Prihatin' visit to him in conjunction with the 219th Police Day.