Three more soldiers were killed—this time in an encounter with New People’s Army terrorists—in two separate battles in Patikul, Sulu, and in Negros Occidental on Sunday.
That brought to 15 the total number of military men slain in three days.
The fighting that killed the three members of the 94th Infantry Battalion took place in Sitio Tugas, in Carabalan village, Himamaylan City, in Negros Occidental.
The soldiers were responding to a reported presence of CPP-NPA guerrillas extorting provenance from some residents in the community when the rebels detonated a bomb on the road along their route around 10 a.m.
The explosion sparked a 30-minute firefight that resulted in the killing of the three soldiers and the wounding of four of their companions.
The military is still verifying the number of casualties on the side of the terrorists.
Maj. Gen. Eric Vinoya, commander of the Third Infantry Division, condemned the guerrillas for “violating yet again the International Humanitarian Law.”
“The incident today vividly reminds us of the treachery and the true evil that resides in each and every heart of the CPP-NPA terrorists, as they once again proved their outright disregard of established laws on the armed conflict,” Vinoya said.
“Their continued use of land mines against our troops is prohibited under the International Humanitarian Law and this violation speaks of the cowardice and banditry of this terrorist group. These terrorist acts motivate us further to press on and finish the fight. We will hunt you down!
“To the families, relatives and friends of our fallen soldiers, we would like to extend our deepest sympathies. They died protecting the people of Negros. They died as heroes.”
Last Friday, 11 soldiers were killed and 13 others were wounded in a firefight with Islamic State-Inspired Abu Sayyaf Group fighters in Danag village in Patikul, Sulu.
Western Mindanao Command Chief Cirilito Sobejana said Monday one of the wounded soldiers, Staff Sgt. Alexander Bolesa, died of his multiple wounds.