NPA rebel killed in Zamboanga del Norte clash

Troops from the 53rd Infantry Battalion retrieve the remains of NPA member Edwin Gulane who was killed in an encounter in Sergio Osmeña, Zamboanga del Norte on Wednesday morning.

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur — A New People’s Army (NPA) rebel was killed in a clash with troops from the Philippine Army’s 53rd Infantry Battalion on Wednesday morning in New Rizal village, Sergio Osmeña, Zamboanga del Norte, the military said.

Lt. Col Terence Ylanan, 53rd IB commander, identified the slain rebel as Edwin Gulane, also known by the aliases “Joffer” and “Imon,” who died after a 10-minute firefight with the government troo

Ylanan disclosed that Gulane was with four other comrades who were hiding in the area when the military received reports of their presence.

The troops immediately conducted an operation to serve a warrant of arrest for murder to Gulane.

The rebels, however, fired at soldiers,  Ylanan added.

Gulane died on the spot while the other rebels managed to escape.

Among the items recovered at the encounter site were a loaded .45-caliber pistol and personal belongings of the NPA members.

Brigadier General Elmer Suderio, commander of the 102nd Infantry Brigade, expressed gratitude to the residents who continue to collaborate with law enforcement agencies.

This development aligns with the significant weakening of the Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee where 6 of its 7 guerilla fronts have been dismantled in recent years, leaving less than 25 members as remnants of their once rebel strongholds, Suderio said.

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