DAVAO CITY -- Two members of the New People's Army (NPA) were killed and their rifles seized in an encounter with troops of the Army's 39th Infantry Battalion in Sitio Caceras, Barangay Upper Bala, Magsaysay, Davao del Sur on Tuesday.
Capt. Gary Dida of the 1002nd Brigade reported that the two NPA members were part of a 30-man armed rebels, allegedly led by a certain Norma Capuyan alias Libra, Dave Verano alias Borjack, and Eusebio Cranzo alias Brix, that the soldiers had clashed with.
Witnesses reported that the NPA was meeting with militias in the forested area of Upper Bala, prompting government troops to send forces to quell any planned atrocity.
Dida said the firefight lasted for about an hour, resulting in the death of the two rebels. The troops also seized their M16 rifles.
He said the troops also saw several wounded NPA members being dragged away by their comrades.
The troops immediately hunted down the NPA rebels, Dida said, noting that there was no casualty from the government side.
Lt. Col. Rhojun Rosales, Commanding Officer of 39IB, thanked the concerned residents for the timely and accurate report on the presence of the NPAs in their area.
The Commander of the 10th infantry Division, Maj. Gen. Noel Clement, vowed to continue pursuing the remaining CPP-NPA terrorists but "will spare those who want to surrender."
“10th ID remains steadfast in protecting the people and securing communities.
The death of the two NPAs clearly manifested the ills of communist-terrorist ideology," he said. (Lilian C Mellejor/PNA)
