New People’s Army. EV ESPIRITU/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON FILE PHOTO
LUCENA CITY — An Army soldier was wounded and an alleged New People’s Army (NPA) rebel captured in separate encounters on Monday in Batangas and Quezon provinces.
In a report released Tuesday, Oct. 17, the Region 4A police said Private Artemio Avila Jr., from the Army’s 59th Infantry Battalion, was wounded during a clash around 9:45 a.m. with NPA rebels in Barangay Bignay in Lobo, Batangas.
The soldiers were conducting a hot pursuit operation against a group of NPA rebels that they encountered in Lobo the previous day.
In Infanta town in Quezon province, soldiers from the Army’s 1st Infantry Battalion captured an NPA rebel identified as alias “Rico” after an encounter at 9:55 a.m. in Barangay Magsaysay.
The battle lasted for five minutes, after which, the rebels escaped in different directions.
The soldiers recovered an M16 rifle, a .45-caliber pistol, and a handheld radio at the encounter site.
No casualty was reported on the government side.
Government forces are still conducting operations to track down the rebels.
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