2 Army soldiers, minor hurt in Masbate clash

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

LEGAZPI CITY — Two government soldiers and a minor were wounded in an explosion on Wednesday, March 22, that led to a clash between government soldiers and alleged New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Placer town in Masbate province.

Captain Frank Roldan, chief of the public affairs office of the 9th Infantry Division, said in a report Thursday that five improvised explosive devices exploded at 7:15 a.m. in Barangay Locso-an.

An armed encounter followed the blasts where Private First Class Mardie Lumapag and Private First Class Angelito Tabanao of the 2nd Infantry Battalion were wounded.

Roldan said the soldiers were conducting an operation after a report on the presence of armed men in the area, when they encountered the alleged NPA rebels.

He said shrapnel from the exploded IEDs hit a minor, who was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Roldan said authorities recovered an M16 rifle with three magazines after the clash.

The clash was reported to have disrupted a Women’s Month celebration in nearby Locso-an Elementary School, causing school officials to suspend classes for the day.

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