LEGAZPI CITY — An Army soldier was killed while four others from his unit were injured in an encounter on Saturday afternoon with suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in a remote village in Oas town in Albay province, report from the military said.
The report identified the slain soldier as Sergeant Ignacio Refuerzo of the Philippine Army (PA) Civil-Military Operation (CMO) Battalion while the wounded soldiers were identified as Sgt. Edgar Sarahan, Private First Class Alsaddam Adulahid, Pfc. Alvin Esteria, Private John Mark Verdilflor, and Private Teodoro Cardano Jr., all members of the same battalion.
The members of the Chameleon Team of the CMO Battalion were on their way to Barangay (village) Tobgon when they encountered a group of NPAs in Sitio (sub-village) Quipo at around 4 p.m.
Report said that the rebels also suffered undetermined number of casualties in the firefight that ensued.
Report also said the CMO team was holding the military’s Serbisyo Caravan at Barangay Mayag in said town when the encounter happened.
A hot pursuit operation was launched by the Army to capture the rebels who escaped while police have set up checkpoints Barangay Camagon in the neighboring village.