BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Three soldiers were killed while four others were wounded in a clash with suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental at 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 19.
Maj. Franco Ver Lopez, a civil-military officer of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, said the soldiers were conducting a community security patrol in connection with the distribution of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development to families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic when they encountered an undetermined number of NPA rebels.
Lopez said they received a series of reports regarding the presence of armed groups who were forcing the people to give money and rice.
Col. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said the soldiers were getting close to the NPA members when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded and hand grenades were thrown inflicting immediate casualties among the soldiers. A 30-minute firefight then followed the explosion.
A lieutenant and a soldier were killed during the fierce firefight while another died while being evacuated.
Military helicopters were sent to evacuate the wounded soldiers who are now recuperating in a hospital in Bacolod City. The names of the fatalities were not released as authorities have yet to inform their respective families.
“We express our deepest sympathy to the families of our hero-soldiers who died fighting for the peace in Negros Island,” Pasaporte said.
He added that the Army will be heightening its operations to capture the NPA terrorists.