Soldier, 2 NPA rebels die in NegOcc clash

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 20, 2021): Soldier, 2 NPA rebels die in NegOcc clash (By Nanette Guadalquiver)

DEAD REBEL. The body one of the two New People’s Army (NPA) rebels killed in a clash with troops of the Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion in the hinterlands of Silay City, Negros Occidental on Friday (Aug. 20, 2021). A soldier also died during the 10-minute encounter with remnants of the NPA’s Northern Negros Front. (Photo courtesy of 3rd Infantry Division, Philippine Army)

A soldier of the Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) and two guerrillas of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) died during a clash in Barangay Kapitan Ramon, Silay City, Negros Occidental on Friday morning.

The report on the fatalities was confirmed by the 3rd Infantry Division (ID) but did not yet name the soldier who was killed in action while the identities of the two communist-terrorists are still undetermined as of press time.

Maj. Cenon Pancito III, 3ID public affairs chief, said the troops engaged about 10 rebels around 6 a.m. in the vicinity of the Hacienda Remunda for about 10 minutes.

“The troops responded to the information provided by residents about the presence of armed men, who were also conducting extortion activities,” he added.

The soldier’s body was brought to this city for funeral arrangements and will be identified after his family has been informed of his death.

On the other hand, the corpses of the two NPA rebels – a male and a female – were endorsed by the troops to the police investigators, Pancito said.

During the scouring operation, the 79IB soldiers also found an M16 rifle along with mobile phones, a backpack, hammocks, and ponchos.

Pancito said although the NPA’s Northern Negros Front has been declared dismantled, its remnants still exist in the area.

The number of their fighters has significantly decreased, but the remaining members have been directed by their national leaders to consolidate their forces to regroup, he added.

“These remnants are being addressed by troops of 79IB so we can put an end to the communist-terrorist in the northern part of Negros Island,” Pancito said.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1151153