4 killed in Albay, Ilocos Sur clashes between Army, NPA

Separate clashes in the provinces of Albay and Ilocos Sur killed at least two soldiers and two communist rebels, reports from the police and military on Tuesday showed.

In Albay, two suspected rebels and a soldier were killed in fighting in the village of Joroan in Tiwi town on Tuesday.

Col. Alden Juan Masagca, commanding officer of the Army’s 901st Infantry Brigade, said soldiers were patrolling the village when they clashed with an undetermined number of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels at 8:30 a.m.

Military reports, however, did not identify the slain rebels and soldier.

Masagca said soldiers recovered land mines, six rifles and documents from the clash site.

He said the rebels were led by NPA commander Pablo Cuerdo, also known as “Ambo.”

In Ilocos Sur, a soldier was killed while another was wounded when suspected NPA rebels attacked them at an elementary school in Quirino town on Saturday, according to a report from the Army’s Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) in Tarlac province.

The soldiers were members of the 81st Infantry Battalion who were helping with chores at a school in Patiacan village as part of a community development support program. They were attacked at 4 p.m. allegedly by members of the NPA’s KLG Montes Unit.

The names of the soldiers were not released by Nolcom. One of them died while being taken to Quirino Primary Health Care Center at 6:50 p.m.

The other soldier is undergoing treatment. —MICHAEL B. JAUCIAN AND TONETTE OREJAS