Militiaman killed as Army clashes with NPAs in North Cotabato

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 22): Militiaman killed as Army clashes with NPAs in North Cotabato

The military is pursuing a band of communist rebels who killed a government militiaman during an encounter in Sitio Boay-boay, Barangay Basak here.

Lt. Silver Belvis, spokesperson of 39th Infantry Battalion identified the casualty as Eliseo Sicao, a member of the militia force under the Army’s 72nd Infantry Battalion stationed in the area.

Belvis said government troopers were conducting a combat patrol operation in the area on Tuesday afternoon when they encountered some 15 rebels belonging to the New Peoples Army (NPA) Guerilla Front 54.

The firefight lasted for an hour and only stopped after the rebels withdrew to a forested section of the village.

Belvis said bloodstains were found on the rebel position after the encounter.

Authorities here raised alert status while pursuit operations are ongoing against the rebels.

The incident was the second encounter between government forces and NPA rebels here in North Cotabato after President Rodrigo Duterte and the NPA separately lifted their respective unilateral ceasefire recently.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=966190