THREE members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in an encounter that took place in Barangay Pangi, Tandag City, Surigao del Sur on Sunday afternoon, a military report said Monday.
Army’s 4th Infantry Division public affairs chief Major Rodulfo Cordero said the encounter ensued when government forces responded to a civilian tip-off on the presence of NPA rebels conducting “extortion activities” in the area.
“The government troops from the 36th Infantry Battalion encountered some 40 NPA combatants,” Cordero said.
Cordero said the armed group belongs to the CPP-NPA’s Platoon 1, Guerilla Front 30 of the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee under Joel Mahinay alias Nicko.
"The three recovered cadavers are not yet identified as of this time," said Cordero.
The cadavers were turned-over by 36IB to local police for proper disposition, according to Cordero.
36IB commander Col. jezreel J. Diagmel also said that their operating troops encountered around 40 armed men who were suspected to be out to harass a quarantine checkpoint in the area.
Diagmel said that while the troops proceeded to the location of the rebels, the soldiers were able to locate their hideout at the mountainous areas of Barangay Pangi at around 1 PM.
The heavy encounter lasted 40 minutes before the NPA rebels retreated from their position and fled to different directions, according to Diagmel.
As of Sunday noon, the Army troopers have recovered from the encounter site three bodies of NPA rebels.
Diagmel believed that more NPA rebels were killed during the clash as the troopers were still conducting pursuit operations in the area.
The troopers also recovered from the encounter site one M-16 rifle, two M-16 rifles with grenade launchers, one AK-47 rifle, two converted .22-caliber rifles, three mobile phones, two universal serial bus (USBs).
Government troops also tecovered six pieces of subscriber identity module cards, four pieces of memory cards, 20 pieces of jungle hammocks, 10 improvised beddings, and 21 backpacks with personal belongings, various documents and paraphernalia.
Surigao del Sur Police provincial director Col. James T. Goforth, said that they are providing support to the ongoing pursuit operation against the remaining NPA rebels in the area.
Meanwhile, 4ID commander Major General Andres C Centinosaid that the communist terrorists in Caraga are now extorting money even from the farmers and small businesses.
"The communist terrorists can now hardly sustain their forces due to the massive focused military operations of the AFP in the region," said Centino.
“Our forces will continue to pursue these bandits until they stop their extortion and atrocities," Centino said even urging them to surrender to the government.
"This is the only way to defeat them. Without resources they will not be able to survive”, said Centino. (Ben Balce)
