Friday, August 3, 2018

Army denies casualties in Agusan gun battle

From the Manila Bulletin (Aug 3): Army denies casualties in Agusan gun battle

The area command of the Army’s 402nd Infantry (Stingers) Brigade on Friday strongly denied that four of their operating Army soldiers were killed during a fierce gun battle with the Communist New People’s Army Terrorists (CNTs) on Wednesday.



“There’s no truth to the information waged by the other side (CNTs),” stressed 402nd Brigade civil military operation officer (CMO) Capt. Al Anthony Pueblas.

However, the 402nd CMO officer only confirmed two members of the Army’s 23rd Infantry Battalion (23rd IB) were slightly wounded during the 37 minutes gun battle with the SPP Kingdom Guerilla Front Committee 4-A (GFC 4-A) of the CPP-NPA Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) under certain “Commander Bryan” at Tabon area, Barangay Aclan, Nasipit town, Agusan del Norte.

“The two wounded soldiers are out of danger,” the Army officer stressed.

Pueblas claimed that an unidentified amazon of GFC 4-A was killed in that gun battle, based on the reports of the highland villagers who allegedly saw her being dragged by her comrades-in-arms as they ran away toward the municipal border of Buenavista and Nasipit in Agusan del Norte province.

He said the Tabon gun battle took place after the highland villagers reported the alleged force revolutionary taxation imposed by the CNTs in the area.

Meanwhile, hot pursuit operation against the fleeing rebels is still ongoing in Agusan del Norte highland areas.

“Our pursuing troops also wanted to recover the slain amazon so that she will be given proper burial,” the 402nd CMO officer said.

He added that Brig. Gen. Franco Nemesio Gacal, commanding general of the 402nd “Stingers” Brigade also wanted the wounded CNTs be given medical attention in any hospital in the province.

“Our operating troops also believed that unaccounted numbers of CNT’s were wounded in Tabon gun battle,” Pueblas further claimed.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/08/03/army-denies-casualties-in-agusan-gun-battle/

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