NPA rebel killed, machine gun recovered in Surigao

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 13, 2024): NPA rebel killed, machine gun recovered in Surigao Sur clash (By Alexander Lopez)

SEIZED. Government troops recovered an M60 machinegun and other war matériel after a clash with New People’s Army rebels in Lianga, Surigao del Sur, on Monday (Feb. 12, 2024). The cadaver of a female rebel was also recovered at the clash site. (Photo courtesy of 4ID)

BUTUAN CITY – A communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebel was killed after a clash in Surigao del Sur’s Lianga town, the military here said Tuesday.

In a report, the Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) said troops from the 3rd Special Forces Battalion (3SFBn) clashed with NPA rebels in Barangay Baucawe, Lianga on Monday, after a tip from villagers.

After the encounter, the 3SFBn troopers recovered an abandoned cadaver of a female NPA rebel who was identified only as “Sunshine,” a medic of the NPA Regional Sentro De Gravidad (SRDG), North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC).

Soldiers also found at the encounter site an M60 machine gun, ammunition, and personal belongings of fleeing NPA rebels.

On Feb. 11, the 4ID also reported that an NPA rebel was killed in an encounter with troops of the 58th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Quezon Heights, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental.

The slain rebel was identified as Miguel Sereño, a vice squad leader of the NPA Sub-Regional Committee 1, North Central Mindanao Regional Committee.

Recovered at the clash site were an Ingram machine pistol, a detonating cord, a blasting cap, backpacks with personal belongings, and assorted subversive documents.

Maj. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo II, the 4ID commander, said the recent clashes brought a substantial blow to the abilities of the NPA rebels to carry out atrocities, especially in vulnerable communities.

“With these gains, we have proven the effectiveness of the collaborative efforts between our troops, our stakeholders, and our communities to defeat the (communist insurgency),” Cuerpo said in a statement on Tuesday.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1218764