2 NPAs killed in Surigao gunbattle

From the Manila Bulletin (Oct 1): 2 NPAs killed in Surigao gunbattle

Camp Bancasi, Butuan City – Two New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were killed and an undetermined number of their comrades were believed critically wounded in a 45-minute firefight Tuesday against government security forces in Sitio Brazil, Barangay Mat-i, Surigao City.

In an initial report reaching this city on Wednesday, elements of the 30th Infantry Battallion (30th IB) responded to a call from local villagers about the presence of NPA rebels in their barangay and immediately engaged the insurgents in a fierce gunbattle that last nearly an hour.

And as the smoke cleared after the fiery exchange, two unidentified rebels lay dead while dozens more were believed injured but carried away with their retreating comrades.

Authorities seized from the slain rebels two M16 Armalite rifles, live ammunitions, personal belongings and anti-government documents. There was no casualty reported on the side of the military.

“Maraming mga sugatan ang dinala ng mga nagtakbuhang mga rebelde” (Many wounded rebels were brought along by the fleeing rebels), claimed Col. Jonathan Ponce, commanding officer of the Army’s 401st Infantry Brigade.

As of this posting, more combat troops from the 30th IB were deployed to beef up troops who are in pursuit operations in the Brazil area.

Meanwhile, elements of police regional mobile force were mobilized on Wednesday to support the elements of 1st Special Action Force (1st SAF) Battallion who are pursuing the fleeing NPA rebels where one 1st SAF member was slightly wounded, identified as PO1 Richard Dagapan (not Senior Police Officer 1 Richard Maghanoy as earlier reported) in Barangay San Roque, Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte.

Chief Supt. Dominador Eslava Aquino, Jr., regional director of Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) also alerted all municipal police stations and other police headquarters and detachments spread all over the region to avert any surprise attacks by the NPA’s.

He also ordered a round-the-clock combat and security patrols in their respective areas of responsibility, said PRO 13 regional Public Information Officer Supt. Romaldo G. Bayting.

http://www.mb.com.ph/2-npas-killed-in-surigao-gunbattle/