Gov’t soldiers recover NPA weapons after clash in Quezon

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

LUCENA CITY — Army soldiers recovered explosives and bullets after an encounter on Tuesday with alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Tagkawayan town in Quezon province.

In a report, Quezon police said on Wednesday, Dec. 20, that patrolling soldiers from the Army’s 85th Infantry Battalion figured in a 10-minute clash at 4:10 p.m. with at least 10 guerrillas in the boundary of barangays Manato Central and San Roque.

The report said no casualties were recorded on the government side.

The soldiers recovered four improvised explosives, bullets, four magazines, and propaganda materials.

Last June, local government, police, and military officials in Quezon declared that the province had attained “Stable Internal Peace and Security” or SIPS status, which means that the NPA rebels are no longer a threat to the peace and order in its localities.

However, Colonel Ledon Monte, the Quezon provincial police chief, said the NPA may still have possible remnants in Quezon but they are no longer capable of initiating attacks.

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