Four government troops were wounded in a clash with 10 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels at the mountains of Barangay Capellan in Ilagan City on Friday.
Maj. Jekyll Dulawan, 5th Infantry Division spokesperson, said the wounded soldiers were airlifted from the site by the Philippine Air Force – Tactical Operations Group 2 members and brought to the military hospital for treatment.
Recovered from the rebels after the 30-minute encounter between a platoon of soldiers of the 95th Infantry Battalion and the communist terrorists at about 7:30 a.m., were an M-16 Armalite rifle, two shotguns, three magazines, 53 bullets for M-16 rifle, five shotgun bullets, and personal belongings.
Bloodstains were reportedly seen along the withdrawal route of the communist rebels, indicating casualties.
Dulawan said villagers had tipped off the presence of rebels belonging to the Regional Sentro De Gravidad (RSDG) of the Komiteng Rehiyon – Cagayan Valley (KR-CV) who were allegedly extorting for food.
Lt. Col. Carlos Sangdaan Jr., 95th Infantry Battalion commander, said they would continue to focus their efforts on getting rid of insurgents.
Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Danilo Benavides, 502nd Infantry Brigade commander, urged the rebels to surrender.
“Army troops will not stop from chasing you so better grab the opportunity to yield to the government troops. Benefits from the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) await you,” he said.
The Communist Party of the Philippines – NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
Source: Philippines News Agency
