Soldiers clash with NPA rebs planting landmines in Occidental Mindoro

CITY OF CALAPAN – Soldiers, acting on information from the local Mangyan community, stopped suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) who were attempting to plant improvised landmines in Sta. Cruz town in Occidental Mindoro province on Friday afternoon, the military said Saturday.

Brigadier General Antonio Parlade Jr., commander of Philippine Army’s 203rd Infantry Brigade under the 2nd Infantry Division, in a text message said soldiers from the 76th Infantry Battalion engaged around 40 rebels in a 15-minute firefight in Barangay (village) Pinagturilan at around 1:30 pm.

Parlade said the NPA rebels were conducting a landmine planting operation in Sitio (sub-village) Kanambangan when they were engaged by the soldiers.

No soldiers were hurt but Parlade said they suspected some rebels were wounded and killed based on heavy blood trails on the site.

Recovered at the clash site were improvised explosive devices, an upper receiver for an M16 rifle, assorted guns, assorted ammunition rounds, a cellphone with SIM cards, subversive documents and assorted medicine.

Parlade said police and army units are now conducting pursuit and blocking operations against the NPA rebels.  /muf