3 soldiers hurt after clash with rebels in Northern Samar

Northern Samar map. INQUIRER FILES

TACLOBAN CITY — Three soldiers remain in the hospital after they were wounded in an encounter with alleged communist rebels in Barangay Osmeña, Las Navas town, Northern Samar on Monday, April 24.

The 803rd Infantry Brigade (IB), based in Catarman, Northern Samar, identified the wounded soldiers as Lt. Ron Ryan Pilapil, Cpl. Jungie Causing, and PFC Leomark Trucilla–all of whom were in the village to conduct their regular visit as part of the government’s campaign against insurgency.

Based on the investigation, the suspected rebels used improvised explosive devices that resulted in the injury of the three soldiers.

Col. Efren Morados, the commanding officer of the 803rd IB, said the attack staged by the rebels is their way to disrupt government programs in the barangays.

“This incident does not discourage our troops [from] performing their task. Instead, it inspires us more to help the barangays in achieving peace and development in collaboration with the Barangay Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (BTF-ELCAC) to totally eradicate these Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs),” he said in a statement.

Morados appealed to the remaining communist rebels and their supporters to return to the folds of the law, avail of the government’s program for them, and live a normal life.

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JPV/abc