Ang Bayan article posted to the CPP Website (Jan 21): 6 soldiers killed, 12 wounded in Agusan del Sur
Six 26th IB troopers were killed and 12 wounded in back to back tactical offensives launched in San Luis, Agusan del Sur by Red fighters under the Western Agusan del Norte-Agusan del Sur Subregional Command of the New People’s Army (NPA) on January 8 and 9. There were no casualties on the NPA side.
The 26th IB suffered five wounded in a harassment operation conducted by NPA guerrillas while the soldiers were climbing a cliff beside the Mahaba River at Km. 27, Side 2, Barangay Mahayahay at exactly 11:35 a.m. of January 8. The day after, six other soldiers from the same battalion were killed and four others wounded when an NPA team rained bullets on the rear of a six-by-six truck the troopers were riding as the vehicle navigated a pothole-riddled road around 2 a.m. at Km. 5, Barangay Balit.
The 26th IB troops scoured the town’s hinterland barangays right after the revolutionary movement launched in San Luis the biggest celebration in Mindanao of the 45th anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines’ reestablishment. This, despite the fact that the suspension of offensive military operations (SOMO) declared by the AFP on December 21 was not supposed to end till January 15. The 26th IB also set up a checkpoint near its camp at the neighboring town of Talacogon, where they disrupted the residents’ preparations to celebrate the coming New Year and violated the people’s right to free movement.
The soldiers targeted by the guerrillas’ harassment operations had already been conducting military operations for a week and were tired and on the way back to their camp. Up to 110 soldiers divided into two columns had entered villages in San Luis as early as January 2. Sixty-eight soldiers entered Barangay San Pedro and the 42 others entered through Km. 21 in Barangay Don Alejandro.
Despite the AFP’s much-vaunted SOMO, the military has been relentlessly conducting combat operations in San Luis; in San Fernando and Impasug-ong, Bukidnon; and in Gingoog, Claveria and Binuangan, Misamis Oriental.
http://www.philippinerevolution.net/publications/ang_bayan/20140121/6-soldiers-killed-12-wounded-in-agusan-del-sur
Ang Bayan is the official news organ of the Communist Party of the Philippines and is issued by the CPP Central Committee. It provides news about the work of the Party as well as its analysis of and standpoint on current issues. The publication comes out fortnightly and is published in Pilipino, Bisaya, Ilokano, Waray, Hiligaynon and English.
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