Soldier, Cafgu member killed in NPA attack in Camarines Norte

NPA rebels show off their high-powered firearms in this file photo. AFP

LUCENA CITY – An Army soldier and a member of the government paramilitary group were killed in an attack by New People’s Army rebels in Labo, Camarines Norte, shortly before midnight Saturday, a military report said Sunday.
Major Angelo Guzman, spokespeson of the military’s Southern Luzon Command (Solcom), said the soldier and the member of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (Cafgu) belonged to a group of government troops that engaged an undetermined number of communist rebels who
attacked the government’s Namukanan bridge project in Barangay Daguit, Daet at about 11 p.m.
The government forces composed of a squad from the Army’s 49th Infantry Battalion and Cafgu members repulsed the attack after engaging the rebels in an hour-long fire fight, Guzman said in a statement Sunday.
“The squad fought courageously defending and securing the project for more than an hour of sporadic fire fight after which the rebels withdrew,” Guzman said.
Aside from the two casualties – identified as Private Reymark Camila Regore and Cafgu member Anthony Aceron – another soldier, Private First Class Jhelor Caranzo, was wounded in the battle.
The injured soldier suffered minor wounds and was immediately treated, Guzman said.
State forces lost two M14 rifles and one M16 to the rebels. However, they were able to retrieve an M16 rifle left behind by the escaping rebels.
According to Guzman, the rebels attacked after the project contractor, EUS Construction, rejected the rebel’s “extortion demands.”
Lieutenant General Ricardo Visaya, Solcom commander, said the soldiers foiled the rebel plan to destroy the project and construction equipment.
“We secured the bridge project that will benefit the people but we lost two brave men,” Visaya said in a statement.
Visaya denounced NPA attacks on government road, bridge and other infrastructure projects.

“These attacks deny communities in far flung areas to market their produce and access to development,” Visaya said.
Guzman said Lieutenant Colonel Medel Aguilar, 49th IB commander, immediately closed the highway along the bridge project to clear the area of the roadblocks and improvised bombs planted by the rebels.
The road reopened early morning Sunday.