Two foreigners were reportedly seen with New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in last Saturday’s clash with government troops in a remote Isabela village that left seven soldiers and five guerrillas dead. Sources said civilians saw two Caucasians tagging along with some 30 rebels during the five-hour running gunbattle with elements of the Army’s 502nd Infantry Brigade (IB) in Mabbayad village in Echague town. The military, according to reports, is now investigating this, especially since one of the foreigners was said to be among the fatalities in the clash, which erupted at around 4:30 a.m. Saturday at the boundary of Echague and San Mariano towns.... The rebels, believed to belong to the NPA’s Benito Tesorio Command based here, alleged that they seized three machine guns, four M-16 Armalite rifles, and an M-16 baby Armalite from the government side. “We lost the battle but never the war. We sympathize with the bereaved families of our fallen soldiers who were part of the countless victims of killings perpetrated by the armed lawless group in the area,” the 5th ID said in a statement. The encounter was the worst setback for the Army in Northern Luzon since last April’s ambush-slay by NPA guerrillas of 11 members of the 85th Infantry Battalion in Tinoc, Ifugao. A female civilian was also slain in the attack.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
2 foreigners seen with NPA guerrillas in Isabela clash
From the Philippine Stat (Nov 19): 2 foreigners seen with NPA guerrillas in Isabela clash
Two foreigners were reportedly seen with New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in last Saturday’s clash with government troops in a remote Isabela village that left seven soldiers and five guerrillas dead. Sources said civilians saw two Caucasians tagging along with some 30 rebels during the five-hour running gunbattle with elements of the Army’s 502nd Infantry Brigade (IB) in Mabbayad village in Echague town. The military, according to reports, is now investigating this, especially since one of the foreigners was said to be among the fatalities in the clash, which erupted at around 4:30 a.m. Saturday at the boundary of Echague and San Mariano towns.... The rebels, believed to belong to the NPA’s Benito Tesorio Command based here, alleged that they seized three machine guns, four M-16 Armalite rifles, and an M-16 baby Armalite from the government side. “We lost the battle but never the war. We sympathize with the bereaved families of our fallen soldiers who were part of the countless victims of killings perpetrated by the armed lawless group in the area,” the 5th ID said in a statement. The encounter was the worst setback for the Army in Northern Luzon since last April’s ambush-slay by NPA guerrillas of 11 members of the 85th Infantry Battalion in Tinoc, Ifugao. A female civilian was also slain in the attack.
Two foreigners were reportedly seen with New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in last Saturday’s clash with government troops in a remote Isabela village that left seven soldiers and five guerrillas dead. Sources said civilians saw two Caucasians tagging along with some 30 rebels during the five-hour running gunbattle with elements of the Army’s 502nd Infantry Brigade (IB) in Mabbayad village in Echague town. The military, according to reports, is now investigating this, especially since one of the foreigners was said to be among the fatalities in the clash, which erupted at around 4:30 a.m. Saturday at the boundary of Echague and San Mariano towns.... The rebels, believed to belong to the NPA’s Benito Tesorio Command based here, alleged that they seized three machine guns, four M-16 Armalite rifles, and an M-16 baby Armalite from the government side. “We lost the battle but never the war. We sympathize with the bereaved families of our fallen soldiers who were part of the countless victims of killings perpetrated by the armed lawless group in the area,” the 5th ID said in a statement. The encounter was the worst setback for the Army in Northern Luzon since last April’s ambush-slay by NPA guerrillas of 11 members of the 85th Infantry Battalion in Tinoc, Ifugao. A female civilian was also slain in the attack.
Caucasians moving with the NPA in Isabela province seems a bit farfetched.
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