The Philippine Army’s 19th Infantry Battalion (IB) based in
this town has recovered three improvised explosive devices (IEDs) with blasting
caps in a thickly forested mountains in Carigara, Leyte ,
following a clash with about 30 members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
Battalion commander Lt. Col. Nedy Espulgar Wednesday said
that around 9:50 a.m. on Saturday, troops of the Alpha Company under Lt. Jay
Lore Manaligod discovered the IEDs near the vicinity of the clash sites where
rebels established an encampment.
Other items recovered inside the camp are the blasting caps,
electrical wires, solar panel, voltage regulator, gasoline with oil for their
generator, food supplies, bag packs with personal belongings, medicine,
political maps and subversive documents with “high intelligence value.”
The recovered unexploded artillery are fitted with
detonating devices such as electrical wires.
Col. Dinoh A. Dolina, the army’s 802nd brigade commander
said that IEDs are the weapon of choice by the rebels because it can easily be
hide.
“It's a great device to use against a traditional force.
"The NPAs can't fight that with an established group, which means they
have got to find something to attack,” Dolina added.
The NPA have been able to get hold of fertilizer without
difficulty, made it into explosives and have it planted in some areas in Leyte
and Samar to a terrain that is more favorable
to them, according to the army official.
Series of encounters continue in areas in Carigara, Leyte . In contrast, there had been a noticeable decline
in the number of encounters and attacks carried out by rebels in some other
towns of Leyte .
Lt. Col. Espulgar said the Army has re-established control
over mountain areas of Carigara to where most often than not the rebels set up
an encampment.
The town has not yet been declared as manageable conflict
affected area in Leyte and according to
Espulgar, the area is yet to be completely cleared of rebels first.
"Operations are going on every day to clear the
remaining areas,” he added.
Meanwhile, military troops has called on for better tactics
and enhance more their basic trainings that should help them identify different
types of terrain, whether an IED has been planted.
Manaligod said that there are many types of IEDs. They all
need more trainings to enhance their skills and knowledge.
“During those times when we saw the anti personnel
explosives, my feeling was only to eliminate it and save myself and my men,”
Manaligod said.
Among the areas where the soldiers need improvement is how
best to deal with bombs once they’re located, according to Dolina.
“But better still, the troops will be told they need to
build relationship with villagers, who may know where IEDs are hidden,” the
official told PNA.
With the two battalions in Leyte
under the 802nd Brigade, commanders have come to rely upon this type of
intelligence.
Dolina reminded soldiers that if villagers aren’t talking to
them, just observe their routes using and which path they are avoiding.
“Constant need for vigilance makes the work of patrolling
the villages of Leyte and Southern Leyte
difficult, but it seems to be paying off,” he added.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=785104
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