Soldiers seize Agusan rebel lair

From the Manila Times (Mar 16): Soldiers seize Agusan rebel lair

GOVERNMENT troops have foiled on Friday possible communist rebel atrocities in northern Mindanao after taking a rebel encampment following a gun battle in village in Carmen, Agusan del Norte.

Reports reaching Camp Aguinaldo, the military general headquarters in Manila, said that the encounter between troops of the 58th Infantry Battalion and a group of rebels happened at about 4 p.m. on Friday in Sitio Kabayawa, Barangay Poblacion, Carmen town.

Lt. Col. Eugenio Julio Osias 4th, spokesman for the Fourth Infantry Division, said that their troops were conducting combat patrol operations in the area when they chanced upon a group of 15 rebels in the area triggering an exchange of fire.

“The rebels were surprised by the soldiers causing them to abandon their belongings in a hurry to flee from pursuing troops. The encounter lasted for 20 minutes after which the rebels retreated,” the army official said.

Osias added that their troops recovered from the encounter site some 20 pairs of battle dress uniforms; an improvised explosive device; one icon charger; one unlicensed motorcycle; 19 lunchboxes; ammunitions and six backpacks containing propaganda materials.

The rebels, believed to be belonging to Guerilla Front 4-A, were reportedly planning wide-scale atrocity based from information gathered by soldiers from the encounter site, the army official said.

Osias added that government troops are still in pursuit of the rebels that have fled in different directions.

http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/regions/43611-soldiers-seize-agusan-rebel-lair