Four New People's Army (NPA) fighters were killed along with
a trooper from the 9th Infantry Battalion during a clash at Barangay Tuburan,
Cawayan town, Masbate Monday afternoon.
Also wounded in the encounter were three soldiers.
Major Angelo Guzman, Southern Luzon Command spokesperson,
said the clash took place 4:30 p.m. Monday.
He added that 9th Infantry Battalion troopers along with the
Masbate PNP Public Safety Company were headed to their respective headquarters
aboard two civilian trucks when fired upon by 20 rebels.
Government forces retaliated and in the ensuing 15-minute
firefight, four NPA fighters were killed along with one trooper.
Also wounded in the encounter were three soldiers, Guzman
stated.
These men are now undergoing treatment at the Masbate Provincial Hospital
"The soldiers and policemen were able to perform their
immediate action on the supposed ambush and turned the initiative in their
favor killing four rebels and recovery of a cal. 45 pistol," 903rd
Infantry Battalion commander Col. Cesar M. Idio said.
He said that additional forces and armored military vehicles
are now conducting pursuit operations.
The bodies of the slain rebels were brought to Barangay Del
Carmen, Uson, Masbate and turned over to local
PNP for identification and proper disposition.
Earlier, at 5:10 a.m. Monday, joint military and police
elements arrested two NPAs in Barangay Libas in Cawayan, Masbate and recovered
an M-16 rifle, 500 rounds of M-16 ammunition, IEDs, laptop and other subversive
documents after a concerned citizen reported the presence of armed men.
Southern Luzon Command head Lt. Gen. Ricardo R. Visaya said
that focused military operations will continue to intensify against the NPAs
and peace spoilers in SOLCOM's priority areas -- Sorsogon and Masbate in Bicol;
Oriental and Occidental Mindoro in Southern Tagalog.
"Together with the people of Southern
Luzon , we call on the NPAs return to the fold of law, join the
mainstream society and embrace peace as our resolve to the decades bloody
conflicts," he added.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=789394
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