INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines — A ranking New People’s Army (NPA) rebel was killed in a clash between Army troopers and seven guerrillas on Thursday in Barangay Sinuknipan, a remote village in Del Gallego town in Camarines Sur, a Philippine Army officer said.
Killed was Rene Briones alias “Al,” “Singkit” and “Arjun,” a native of Antipolo City, and the alleged regional operation commander of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Bicol Regional Party Committee, said Army Capt. Marjorie Panesa, the public information officer of the 9th Infantry Division.
Panesa said in a phone interview that a squad (14-men) of Army soldiers led by Lt. Howard Ardedon of the 49th Infantry Battalion were on a strike mission at about 4:30 a.m. Thursday, when they engaged the group of NPA led by Briones in a five-minute firefight. The rest of the rebels fled after Briones was killed, he said.
Army soldiers recovered from the fight scene a .45 caliber pistol, a shotgun, two laptop computers, seven cellular phones and two back packs.
Panesa said Briones was in the list of ranking NPA leaders operating in Bicol, adding that his death would be a big blow to the communist organization.
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