5 NPA rebels killed in Negros Occidental clashes
INQUIRER.net
BACOLOD CITY–Five suspected communist rebels were killed in a series of encounters with government troopers in Barangay Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla town, Negros Occidental on Saturday, May 20.
The identities of the fatalities remained unknown, according to a statement released by the 62nd Infantry Battalion (IB).
The soldiers launched combat operations in response to information regarding the planned atrocities of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the towns of Moises Padilla and La Castellana, Negros Occidental.
The first encounter with 14 rebels at Sitio Napiluan, Barangay Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla town occurred at 5:05 a.m. It lasted for 10 minutes, prompting the alleged rebels to splinter into smaller groups and withdraw in the southwest direction.
The second encounter took place when six rebels engaged another platoon of the 62nd IB at Sitio Oway-Oway at 5:40 a.m.
Another firefight took place when the blocking team of the 62nd IB spotted five fleeing rebels in the same sitio.
There were no fatalities on the part of the government soldiers.
Recovered from the rebels were an M-16 rifle, two .38 caliber pistols, a KG9 machine pistol with a magazine assembly, one UZI machine pistol with a magazine assembly, two homemade 12-gauge shotguns, assorted ammunition, two Baofeng radios, a keypad cellphone, 15 backpacks, one bandolier, one NPA Flag, various medical paraphernalia, food supplies, enemy war materiel, and personal belongings, the 62nd IB said.
The soldiers expressed gratitude to the residents of the place for helping them go after communist rebels.
“This is a clear manifestation that the people of Moises Padilla are no longer active in giving support to the human rights violators and opportunist NPA terrorists,” the 62nd IB said.
“The soldiers will tirelessly hunt the remnants of the rebel group to ensure that sustainable peace and development will be achieved in Central Negros,” it added.
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