Suspected NPA dies in clash with Army in N Cotabato town

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 17): Suspected NPA dies in clash with Army in N Cotabato town

A suspected member of the New Peoples’ Army (NPA) operating in Davao province was killed in a two-hour running gun battle with government forces in a remote village in Magpet town in North Cotabato, Monday.

Sources said the slain rebel was identified only in his alias as "Ka Joker."

Lt. Nasrullah Sema of the 57th Infantry Battalion said "Ka Joker" was taken by members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), through the help from the Cotabato Provincial Government, and later brought to the village center on Tuesday.

“The man died while on the way to the hospital due to severe loss of blood,” said Sema.

Reports said a group sought the help of the Davao City-based ICRC to retrieve "Joker" from the encounter site.

This was allegedly after the military conducted road check from the boundary up to the highway in Magpet town.

Sema admitted having set up choke points in the area.

This, however, was done to know if there were other people who got hurt during the encounter so they could send them to the nearest hospital for treatment, he said.

The fighting between the NPAs and elements of the 84th IB of the 10th Infantry Division took place along the boundary of Magpet, North Cotabato and Davao City and lasted two hours.

None from the 84th IB was wounded during the armed fighting, according to Sema.

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