IED blast kills 3 troopers in Comval

From the Philippine Information Agency (Feb 4): IED blast kills 3 troopers in Comval

An explosion of an improvised explosive device claimed the lives of three soldiers and wounded two others in a series of encounters between the communist rebels and government troops in the mountainous barangays of Pantukan, Compostela Valley.

Captain Rhyan Batchar, spokesperson of the 10th Infantry Division identified the fatalities as 1st Lt. Ralph Pantonial, Privates First Class Ulysses Bantolo, and Moreno.  Wounded were identified as Corporal Velunta and  Private First Class Sabido, all members of the 46th Infantry Battalion.

He said Pantonial, Bantolo, Velunta and Sabido were hit by the explosion of an improvised explosive detonated by the rebels belong to Pulang Bagani Command 3, as the soldiers conducted clearing operations following a heavy encounter at Sitio Sapang-tin-ao, Barangay Tibagon, Pantukan where they engaged more or less sixty heavily armed men in a thirty-minute firefight.

Batchar said Moreno was killed in a separate encounter with the rebels 6:00 pm in Sitio Biasong, Barangay Napnapan, Pantukan.

“The incidents affirmed the presence of a large number of rebels in the area where legal fronts of the rebels claimed alleged harassments by the soldiers.  In reality, they just wanted to get the attention and effort of government troops to reach out to poor communities out of focus,” he said.

Colonel Macairog Alberto hailed the fallen soldiers and stressed that the incidents will not deter their drive to reach out to more communities through the delivery of basic services and development projects of government.

He called the soldiers killed in the encounters as heroes of the people of Compostela Valley.

Major General Rafael Valencia, commander of the 10th Infantry Division hailed the gallantry of the members of the 46th IB.

“The soldiers will remain to be a strong military organization and will be relentless in our campaign against the rebels,” he said.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2381454547161/ied-blast-kills-3-troopers-in-comval