1 soldier killed, 2 wounded in alleged NPA ambush during relief operations

CALBAYOG CITY, Samar—One soldier was killed while two others were wounded in an ambush staged by alleged communist rebels on Tuesday morning while conducting humanitarian and relief operations for victims of typhoon “Nona” in Northern Samar.

Six soldiers on board the KM450 vehicle were heading to Las Navas town for Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Response operation about 5 a.m. when they were fired upon by a group of alleged New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Barangay Bukid, Las Navas.

The soldiers belonged to the Charlie Company, 20th Infantry Battalion stationed at Barangay Opong, Catubig town in Northern Samar who were tasked to transport equipment used for humanitarian and relief operations in Las Navas.

This was the second time that NPA rebels ambushed a group of soldiers involved in relief operations for typhoon victims in Northern Samar, worst hit province by Nona in Eastern Visayas.

Last Dec. 18, two soldiers were also wounded when they were ambushed by communist rebels while on their way back to Tacloban City, Leyte to pick up relief goods for Nona survivors in Northern Samar.

READ: Alleged NPA rebels attack soldiers getting relief goods in Samar

Before the ambush, the soldiers with two personnel from the  Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) delivered relief goods in the capital town of Catarman in Northern Samar and were supposed to go back to the Office of the Civil Defense in Eastern Visayas office in Tacloban to pick up more relief packs.

Captain Isagani Viernes, information officer of the 8th Infantry Division based in Catbalogan City, condemned the recent attack by the NPA on the soldiers who were only doing “their jobs to alleviate the suffering experienced by storm victims in Northern Samar.”

“This act is a clear manifestation of the NPA [becoming a] criminal organization resulting to desperate measures to further their atrocities. The NPA should stop [these] harmful and violent undertakings at the expense of putting harm to our troops who are helping the typhoon victims,” he added. CDG