Soldier slain in clash with NPA in Quezon province

LUCENA CITY – A soldier was killed in a clash with suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in General Nakar town in Quezon province on Sunday, a military report said.

Captain Patrick Jay Retumban, public affairs chief of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division (2nd ID), identified the slain soldier as Private James Lanes, 24, from Sultan Kudarat.

The report said soldiers from the 92nd Infantry Battalion were conducting operations in Barangay (village) Umiray around 10:40 a.m. after receiving information on the alleged extortion activities by the NPA against indigenous people in the Sierra Madre mountain ranges.

The government troops chanced upon an undetermined number of NPA rebels in Sitio (sub-village) Dadyangao. A 20-minute firefight ensued where Lanes was killed.

“The enemies brought along their wounded comrades when they scampered away,” the report said quoting information from the soldiers.

Pursuing soldiers again engaged the retreating rebels in a 15-minute firefight in Sitio Madaraki around 11:45 a.m. No casualty was reported from both sides, the report said.

Brig. General Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr., commander of the Army’s 202nd Infantry Brigade, which covers the Calabarzon region, said soldiers were still pursuing the rebels as of Monday noon.

Military and police checkpoints have been set up in the area to contain the escaping NPA rebels.