AFP: 62 NPA attacks since January

The New People’s Army has conducted 62 terroristic attacks since the start of the year, the military said.

Armed Forces of the Philippines public affairs chief Col. Edgard Arevalo on Monday called on the NPA to show sincerity to resume peace negotiations by putting a stop to terroristic activities, which include abduction, burning or arson, extortion, ambush and harassment.

“If the NPAs are really sincere and one with the National Democratic Front (NDF) in their intent to resume the talks with government, they should start manifesting their intention by putting a stop to their terroristic activities which continue to harm our citizens and halt development in the communities,” Arevalo said in a statement.

When the government and communist rebels announced the resumption of the peace talks last week, reports of NPA attacks continued in North Cotabato and Agusan del Norte.

President Rodrigo Duterte scrapped the peace talks last month after the communists insisted on their demand to free their political prisoners and called off its unilateral ceasefire and launched a series of attacks against state forces.

The AFP, meanwhile, said their combat operations against the NPA will continue despite the resumption of the peace talks until they receive an official instruction from the Office of the President.

“Our surgical, deliberate, and intelligence-driven operations have so far resulted to the neutralization of 129 (members of the) NPA — 23 were killed, 19 were arrested and 87 surrendered,” Arevalo said.

On the government side, 14 soldiers were killed, 36 were wounded and three were abducted since the start of the year. JE/rga