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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Army-Reds clash: 3 killed

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TWO separate clashes between government forces and members of the New People’s Army occurred on Thursday (March 23) afternoon and early Friday (March 24), killing two communist rebels and a member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Units.

Lieutenant Colonel Rommel Pagayon, Commander of the 26th  Infantry Battalion reported a 30-minute encounter on Thursday between the Philippine Army and NPA rebels in Loreto, Agusan del Sur. 

Pagayon said the encounter happened at 1:30 p.m. at the outskirts of Sitio Mandanao, Barangay Bunucayan.

“Civilians confirmed the two [male and female] NPA fatalities that were accordingly left in the outskirt area. Unfortunately, one Cafgu member [name withheld prior notification of kin] also died after suffering a gunshot wound on his inguinal area,” he said.

Soldiers scouring the encounter site later found the dead body of a woman, allegedly an NPA rebel.

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“Tracks of blood and flesh from the severely wounded NPA members were seen in their escape route. Troops also recovered 2 high-powered firearms [AK47 and an Akkar Shot gun], personal belongings, and subversive documents left by the beleaguered NPAs. Furthermore, civilians also saw the NPAs carrying their wounded and dead,” Pagayon said.

On Friday, at 7:15 a.m., fierce fighting erupted between government troops and suspected NPA rebels in an upland village in Tampakan town in South Cotabato.

Sr. Insp. Harold Cornel, Tampakan municipal police station chief, said the clashes ensued after about 50 heavily armed rebels attacked a Cafgu detachment. 

He said there were no immediate reports of casualties from both sides.

Citing reports from village officials, Cornel said Cafgu personnel manning the detachment managed to fight back, triggering the firefight.

He added that the Army’s 27th Infantry Battalion immediately sent reinforcements to the site, which is located near the base camp of mining firm Sagittarius Mines Inc.

“It’s [fighting] still ongoing at this time and there were already reports of evacuations in nearby communities,” he said in an interview before noon over radio station dxKR.

Sr. Supt. Franklin Alvero, South Cotabato police director, said he has sent police personnel to the area to assist the operations. 

He alerted all police offices and stations in the province for possible attacks from other NPA units.

Prior to the incident, the police officials said they monitored movements of NPA rebels in the hinterland areas of the province, specifically in parts of Barangay Ned in Lake Sebu and the province’s boundaries with Sarangani Province in T’boli town and with Sultan Kudarat in Tampakan. 

Alvero said the rebel movements started a day after NPA rebels ambushed a unit of the Philippine Marines in Sitio Tinangdanan, Barangay Hinalaan in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat that killed a trooper and wounded eight others. With PNA

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