Army mounts hot pursuit operations against raiding NPA rebels

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 22): Army mounts hot pursuit operations against raiding NPA rebels

The military has deployed two teams from the Army’s 58th Infantry Batallion to pursue the communist rebels who raided houses in Kinoguitan in Misamis Oriental Tuesday morning.
Lt. Col. Eugenio Julio Osias, spokesperson of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division here, said that the 58th IB’s C Company led by Lt. Joemar Zulueta shifted operations to intercept the withdrawing New People's Army (NPA)rebels.

Zulueta’s troops were conducting clearing operations in the hinterlands of Kinoguitan, a coastal town 80 kilometers east of Cagayan De Oro City, when the rebels laid siege on the town about 6:00 a.m. Tuesday. Osias said that another group led by Lt. Nowelle Tominio jumped off from the 58th IB’s company based in Salay in Misamis Oriental to conduct hot pursuit operations against the rebels.

He said that about 25 fully-armed rebels belonging to Guerilla Front 4B of the North-Central Mindanao Revolutionary swooped down on the municipal town of Kinoguitan early morning Tuesday. The rebels simultaneously raided the adjoining residences of PFC Benjamin Timbal, an active military assigned with the 58th IB, retired SSgt. Eliseo Salvacion and retired PO4 Anianas Requerme, Osias added. The rebels carted off the service firearms of Timbal, military uniform, combat boots, and other military items owned by the victims. Osias said nobody was hurt during the incident.

He said the rebels fled towards the hinterlands of Kinoguitan and are now being pursued by troops. Town Mayor Junjun Lagbas said that the houses of the victims were only about 40 meters from the town’s municipal hall. Lagbas prevented law enforcers to retaliate fearing that civilians might be caught in crossfire. Lagbas, however, ordered the police to defend the municipal hall at all costs had the rebels attacked the town hall.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=489715