Four soldiers hurt in landmine blast in Legazpi City

FILE PHOTO: Legazpi City. INQUIRER/MARK ALVIC ESPLANA

LEGAZPI CITY — At least four Army soldiers were injured from a landmine explosion on Tuesday afternoon (April 19) while on combat operation against a group of 10 suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Barangay (village) Bariis here, a belated military report said on Wednesday.

Major John Paul Belleza, the Army’s 9th Infantry Division public affairs office chief, said in a statement that soldiers were pursuing the rebel group at around 1 p.m. in the said village.

During the 15-minute firefight, a landmine planted by the rebels erupted and hit the four soldiers with shrapnel.

The rebels then fled toward the neighboring village of Cagbacong.

Belleza said the wounded soldiers, whose identities were not yet released, were taken to a nearby hospital where they are receiving treatment. They are currently in stable condition.

On Wednesday, the soldiers who were on pursuit operation engaged the escaping rebel group in another 10-minute gun battle in the vicinity of Barangay Mariawa, also in this city, at around 4:40 a.m.

At the site of the first encounter, state troops found four anti-personnel mines (three unexploded and one exploded) and a 100-meter wire.

At the second clash, soldiers recovered an anti-personnel mine and a 15-meter wire.

Belleza said except for the wounded soldiers, no other casualties were reported from the government troops.

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