Communist insurgents clash with army in central Philippines
War materiel recovered after firefight.
TACLOBAN CITY: The Philippine army clashed with communist insurgents and seized war materiel after the firefight in the central Philippine province of Northern Samar on Monday (Nov. 25).
Lt. Col. Richard Villaflor, the commander of the Army's 20th Infantry Battalion (20IB), in a statement Tuesday said that the confrontation with the group, named the New People’s Army (NPA), occurred while soldiers were responding to calls about armed individuals requesting food and medicine for their injured comrades in upland Sulitan village, Catubig town.
“The troops took the initiative to check on the ailing NPA members and arrange for their transport to a nearby hospital for treatment. However, while heading to the area, they were fired upon by two rebels, resulting in a brief firefight,” Villaflor recounted.
Following the encounter, troops recovered an M14 rifle, various military supplies, subversive documents and personal items.
Villaflor urged remaining members of the armed group to surrender, stating: "The 20IB and the local government of Catubig are ready to assist you in returning to the law and reintegrating into society. With the holiday season approaching, now is the best time to choose peace and start anew."
The clash was part of a series of armed encounters between soldiers and rebels in Catubig.
It began on Nov. 5 after soldiers responded to civilian reports of NPA members extorting and intimidating local farmers.
During a previous gun battle in Sulitan village, two rebels, including a high-ranking NPA leader, were killed.
On Nov. 11, in a follow-up pursuit, troops discovered the remains of an infant in an abandoned NPA hideout in the area.
Subsequent operations led to the recovery of additional firearms, military materials, and rebel personal belongings.
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Meanwhile, the Philippine army’s 10th Infantry Division has reportedly assured the public that there will not be a resurgence of the NPA despite recent reports of the group's presence in southern Mindanao’s Davao Oriental province.
While acknowledging these sightings, the division asserted that its troops are actively working to pursue and dismantle the remaining NPA units in the area, Mindanao Times reported.
Major Ruben Gadut, the division’s public affairs chief, stated that the military is engaged in targetted operations aimed at eliminating the NPA’s remaining leadership and armed factions.
“The validation is ongoing, but our troops are relentlessly pursuing the NPA remnants to achieve our goal of dismantling the entire Southern Mindanao Regional Committee before the end of 2024,” he told Mindanao Times.
Gadut emphasised that the NPA's strength has been considerably reduced with many of its units and sub-regional committees already dismantled.
The rebellion is considered Asia’s longest-running communist insurgency and one of the world’s most enduring armed conflicts.
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