by Marje Pelayo June 15, 2019 Courtesy: (2DPAO, 2ID, PA) RIZAL, Philippines — Three members of the New People’s Army (NPA) terrorist ...
June 15, 2019
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| Courtesy: (2DPAO, 2ID, PA) |
RIZAL, Philippines — Three members of the New People’s Army (NPA) terrorist group were killed in an encounter with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the town of Mansalay in Oriental Mindoro province.
The encounter took place on Thursday afternoon (June 13) and lasted for almost two hours.
According to BGen. Marceliano Teofilo, the commander of the 203rd Infantry Brigade which has operational jurisdiction over Mindoro Province, they received information from concerned citizen that the NPA terrorists in the area will conduct training to their newly recruited members of which some were believed to be minors.
“This prompted us to conduct Focused Military Operation (FMO) and our troops were able to locate their whereabouts, and fire fight broke,” Teofilo said.
The military also recovered three M16 rifles; one AK-47; one cal.45 with 2 magazines; one grenade launcher tube; two improvised explosive devices (IED) and switch; three blasting caps; two cellphones; and assorted kinds of ammunitions at the encounter site.
According to the report, one soldier from the Army’s 4IB was slightly wounded in the left ear but is now in safe condition.
Lt.Col. Alexander Arbolado, Battalion Commander of the 4IB said they already dispatched additional troops and K9 units to track the whereabouts of the retreating rebels.
“We will not let them go until they are totally destroyed,” he said.
BGen. Teofilo calls on the NPA rebels to surrender or else “suffer the fate of their comrades” as the military will not stop in pursuing them.
Meanwhile, Army’s 2nd Infantry Division spokesperson Capt. Patrick Jay Retumban said “the intel community is now validating the reports that an NPA Commander was slain during the encounter”.
If it’s true, BGen. Teofilo said it would be a major blow to the NPA rebel unit in Mindoro.
“Their days are numbered and in just a matter of time the NPA here will be on the verge of collapse due to their numerous setbacks in armed encounters and snowballing of surrenderees,” he noted.
