Soldiers battle suspected rebels in Nueva Vizcaya

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

FORT RAMON MAGSAYSAY, Palayan City — Soldiers engaged suspected communist rebels in a 10-minute firefight on Tuesday afternoon in Dupax del Sur town in Nueva Vizcaya province, the military said.

Members of the 72nd Division Reconnaissance Company clashed with the rebels at 1:15 p.m. in Barangay Sanguit and eventually forced the armed men to withdraw, said 1Lt. Catherine Hapin, spokesperson of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division.

The soldiers recovered two high-powered weapons, ammunition and food which were abandoned at the combat area.

No soldier was hurt, Hapin said.

It was the second encounter between the military and the rebels in that village in less than a week.

On Nov. 9, soldiers from the 84th Infantry Battalion battled armed men in Sanguit, killing a suspected rebel. Eleven soldiers were wounded in battle, the Army said. /cbb