NegOr residents flee as gov’t troops clash with NPA

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 17, 2021): NegOr residents flee as gov’t troops clash with NPA (By Mary Judaline Partlow)

Google map of Guihulngan City 

 
At least 20 families have evacuated to safer ground as government troops entered their second day of clashes with the New People's Army (NPA) in Barangay Trinidad in Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental.

Col. Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, on Sunday said troops are currently conducting clearing/pursuit operations after the conduct of air strike by Philippine Air Force’s attack helicopters Sunday morning.

The families from Sitio Batong-Buang in Barangay Trinidad have evacuated the area and have been attended to by the Guihulngan City Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (IF-ELCAC).

On Saturday afternoon, troops of the 62nd Infantry Battalion encountered an undetermined number of suspected NPA rebels in the sitio.

At least four encounters ensued that day and continued the next day, warranting air support.

Pasaporte said the site of the clashes are not densely populated.

Reinforcements from the Special Action Force were also deployed, he said.

Trinidad is one of the barangays in Negros Oriental included in the TF-ELCAC’s priority areas under the whole-of-nation approach in ending local communist armed conflict to achieve inclusive and sustainable peace.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1127628