A rebel was killed when government forces and the communist New Peoples’ Army (NPA) guerrillas clashed on Wednesday afternoon in a remote village in Makilala,
Army Lt. Nasrulla Sema, speaking for the 57th Infantry Battalion, said an M-16 Armalite rifle was recovered by soldiers following a 15-minute firefight between some 50 NPAs and a platoon-size elements of the 57th IB.
No casualty was reported on government side.
Sema said the Army received a tip from civilians about the presence of the rebels in Sitio Kawayanon, Barangay Luayon, Makilala,
Acting on the tip, the Army went to Barangay Luayon but was fired at by the guerrillas as soon as they arrived in the village, triggering a 15-minute encounter.
The rebels, sensing the approaching armored personnel carrier of the military, pulled off and proceeded to the forested area of
After clearing operations, the Army found a bloodied Armalite rifle left behind by the rebels.
Sema said bloodstain was also visible in the encampment area of the rebels who were reportedly mulcting farmers.
He said farmers have been complaining of forcible taxation applied by communist rebels especially now that they are harvesting banana, corn and other agricultural products.
Sema also offered a military hospital for wounded NPAs as a gesture of peace and goodwill.
Sema said the 57th IB is coordinating with the local government unit of Makilala to determine the reported evacuation of civilians.
The communist guerrillas have been waging war against the government for almost four decades and the Aquino government, when it assumed office in 2010, had opened the door for peace negotiations.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=506981
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