Soldiers seize NPA camp in CamSur

NAGA CITY, Camarines Sur—Government troops overran a camp allegedly belonging to the New People’s Army (NPA) in Del Gallego town in Camarines Sur after a two-hour-long firefight, the Army said in a belated report Saturday.

Captain Randy Llunar, public affairs officer of Philippine Army’s 9th Infantry Division, said the camp was seized following an encounter between soldiers from the 92nd Division Reconnaissance Company and rebels in Barangay (village) Bagong Silang, Del Gallego at around 7:10 a.m. Thursday. The camp, which had tents that could accommodate no fewer than 50 people, was taken over by soldiers after the occupants withdrew and scampered away.

He said that they learned the existence of the camp through text messages from civilians which enabled them to locate and monitor the rebels’ activities and plan out the operations against them.

Llunar said troops were able to seize an M16A1 rifle, a rifle grenade, two improvised explosive devices, a detonator and 200 meters of wire along with a bacpack with personal belongings. No one was hurt from the government side.

Llunar said that the troops are continuously conducting a pursuit operation against the rebels. Hanna M. Pading, intern