Military overruns 2 more NPA camps in Samar

MANILA, Philippines — Two more camps of the New People’s Army were overran by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Northern Samar following two separate clashes with the rebel group, a military spokesman said Tuesday.

In a press statement, Lieutenant Colonel Noel Vestuir, commanding officer of the 20th Infantry Battalion, said that the first encounter occurred after residents reported seeing armed men in the vicinity of the villages of San Julian and San Pascual in Catarman, Northern Samar.

The soldiers launched an attack at 8:30 a.m. Monday and a firefight ensued for about an hour which ended with rebels retreating to unknown directions. The military overran the rebel encampment which had 20 bunkers and could accommodate more or less 30 rebels.

Government forces also recovered 460 rounds of ammunition for M60 machine gun, one sack of rice, kitchen utensils, personal belongings and subversive documents.

No casualties were reported on the military’s side while blood stains in the vicinity indicated that an undetermined number of rebels were injured, Vestuir said.

At 12:30 p.m. the same day, the military while conducting pursuit operations encountered more or less 60 fully armed NPA rebels about 500 meters away from the previous encounter site.

The gunfight also lasted for over an hour and also ended with the military overrunning another rebel camp which has 30 bunkers and can accommodate around 60 rebels.

Vestuir said that overrunning the two military camps will disrupt activities of the NPA in Northern Samar.

“The government troops have dislodged them from their guerilla camps and cut off their supply support lines that they forcibly take from the residents in the area,” Vestuir said.