Joint gov’t troopers thwart reds’ from bombing roads

By BEN SERRANO,
Correspondent

BUTUAN CITY — A fresh encounter between New People’s Army and the joint operatives of the army’s 23rd Infantry Battalion and the Caraga Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) thwarted alleged plans of the rebels to detonate more land-mines along barangay roads in Sitio Minlangit, barangay Aclan, Carmen town in Agusan del Norte.

The army’s 23IB spokesman 1Lt. Edgar Lemuel Adajar Jr. told the Gold Star Daily the latest encounter lasted for 15 minutes at the outskirt Sitio Minlangit at about 3:45 pm, Friday.

Adajar said the joint military and police troops were supposed to go to Barangay Manoligao, Car-men to investigate the Thursday attack of an Army Patrol Base by some 50 NPA rebels that killed CAA member Rodolfo Calumpang –– one of the CAA members and soldiers manning the patrol base.

“But along the way around 3:45 pm, Friday, some 15 fully armed New People’s Army rebels ambushed the government troopers. Our men managed to fight back, outmaneuvered the ambushing rebels that also caused them to flee carrying their undetermined number of comrades who were wounded as a result of the fierce gunfight,” Adajar said.

Adajar claimed the government troopers thwarted plans of the communist rebels to detonate more landmine bombs in the area after the NPA detonated one land-mine only about three kilometers away from the national highway.

Adajar confirmed the Manoligao Army Patrol Base attack was divertio-nary because another group of NPA rebels were planning to attack another Army Patrol Base. The base is near the Therma Marine Barge in Nasipit, Agusan del Norte, adjacent town of Carmen.

After the gunfight, the authorities were able to recover a black Skygo motorcycle with no plate number, 150 meters detonating cord, and one cellphone.

Adajar added they had no casualties from the gunfight but claimed that civilians saw the NPA rebels carry their wounded and dead to safety as they withdrew.