Army detachment in Capiz attacked anew by enemy

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 24): Army detachment in Capiz attacked anew by enemy

Armed groups believed to be members of the New People's Army (NPA) rebels launched an attack anew on the Philippine Army detachment of the 61st Infantry Battalion (61IB) based in Barangay Abangay Tapaz, Capiz.

Belated military reports reaching here said the raining bullets unleashed by the enemy before day break on Friday has surprised the army soldiers who were at their patrol base at that time.

Government forces engaged the attackers in almost 10-minute firefight forcing the enemy to withdraw sensing the superior firepower of soldiers.

The troops recovered empty shells of M14 and M16 armalite rifles believed to have came from the NPA rebels in their renewed armed attack against the army detachment in the hinterland town of Tapaz, Capiz.

The recent attack came on the eve of the PA’s anniversary celebration last Saturday.

The government forces immediately conducted hot pursuit operation against the fleeing rebel insurgents to flush them out of their mountain lairs in the hinterlands of Tapaz.

It was learned that the army detachment in Tapaz has been under enemy attack for the second time early this month.

The first incident was reported early Tuesday morning of March 11 where a group of 15 armed NPA rebels also launched an attack against the army detachment in Brgy. Abangay. Tapaz.

The rebels charged the army detachment with heavy firepower for almost 10 minutes as evidenced of empty cartridges of M14 armalite rifle later recovered in the enemy position.

Simultaneous with the enemy atrocity in Brgy. Abangay, two other army detachments in Brgy. Daan Sur, also in Tapaz and Brgy. Agcalaga located in the adjoining Calinog, Iloilo also came under armed attack from the rebel groups.

The attacks on the Calinog military facility was perpetrated by some 20 to 30 rebel insurgents who fired a volley of gun fires toward the army position in Agcalaga wee hours on Tuesday morning of March 11.

1Lt. Mary Jane Domga, 61IB spokesperson, however, said the rebels failed on their plan to run over the detachment as government forces led by S/Sgt. Niel Porras and his eight men offered stiff resistance to enemy attackers.

Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported during the recent armed skirmish as the enemies were later seen retreating towards adjoining Brgy. Garangan, Calinog before day break.

Domga said the recent attacks launched against the army detachments might be a show of strong protests on the part of the NPA rebels over the transfer of the army’s 61IB headquarters from Brgy. Libot, Calinog, Iloilo to Brgy. Lagdungan, Tapaz, Capiz.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Army in Panay Island was on red alert in anticipation for the enemy’s atrocity in time of their founding anniversary come March 29.

As this developed, military authorities here is closelycoordinating with the Philippine National Police to deter any planned atrocities to be launched by the enemy in the region.

Possible enemy targets like army and PNP stations, government offices and big business facilities are among the major installations being monitored and secured by law enforcers.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=628698