Phil. Army soldier hurt in gunfight with Reds

From Panay News (Feb 19. 2021): Phil. Army soldier hurt in gunfight with Reds (By Ruby Silubrico)

Troops of the Philippine Army’s (PA) 79th Infantry Battalion (79IB) engaged New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in a gunfight in Barangay Iglilico, San Joaquin, Iloilo yesterday. A soldier was wounded.

The soldier, with a rank of Private First Class, had gunshot wounds on the chest and right arm.

He received medical treatment and was already in stable condition,” according to Captain Cenon Pancito III, PA’s 3rd Infantry Division spokesperson.

The firefight lasted for about 30 minutes. It began around 1:51 p.m. while 79IB soldiers were conducting house-to-house visits in Barangay Iglilico.

Pancito believed the rebels belonged to the NPA’s Suyak Platoon led by Joven Ceralvo alias “Ka Lex.”

They withdrew after Army augmentation troops arrived.

Pancito urged local residents to immediately report to authorities the presence of suspected NPA rebels in their villages.

The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. It was founded on March 29, 1969.

https://www.panaynews.net/phil-army-soldier-hurt-in-gunfight-with-reds/