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By Nitz Arancon
Correspondent . 

A communist guerrilla was killed after an armed encounter with government troops in Lantapan town in Bukidnon at around 1 pm on Monday.

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According to Capt. Ryan Layug, 403rd Infantry Brigade spokesman, the New People’s Army fighter was killed during a hot pursuit operation of the 1st Special Forces Battalion after an encounter last Thursday in Sitio Green Valley, Barangay Dalwangan in Malaybalay City.

It can be recalled that four guerrillas and two soldiers were killed after an encounter in Sitio Green Valley at about 9:30 pm on Feb. 14.

After the encounter, Layug said, the rebels fled towards Lantapan, reason for the hot pursuit operations where they encountered the group of rebels that attacked the soldiers last week.

Layug has yet to divulge the identity of the killed rebel.

“The NPA terrorists scampered during the firefight and left their dead comrade behind. The troops (seized) one M-653 high powered rifle,” Layug said.

He added that the encounter happened near the rebels’ makeshift base where they found three sacks of rice.

403IB commanding officer Col. Edgardo de Leon said soldiers of the 1st Special Forces Battalion discovered the makeshift base of the rebels in Lantapan from a tip of a concerned citizen.

“This is a clear manifestation that they are unwanted or (personae) non grata to IP communities and farmers in the area,”  de Leon said.

For his part, 4th Infantry Division commander Brigadier Gen. Franco Nemesio Gacal vowed that they will defend civilians in areas where the communist guerrillas are present.

“We will defend our people and communities from these terrorist at all cost. That is our mandate,” said Gacal.

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