MORE TROOPS. The troopers of the Army 3rd Infantry Battalion during their arrival in Eastern Visayas last February. The entire unit will be assigned to rebel-infested areas in Northern Samar. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Army)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Philippine Army will deploy more troops to some towns in Northern Samar following the recent detonation of anti-personnel land mines by the communist terrorist group that wounded seven soldiers in Mapanas town.
Capt. Ryan Layug, Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division spokesperson, said additional troops will be assigned in the Pacific towns of the province with some villages still threatened by the presence of the New People’s Army (NPA).
"We are sustaining our Community Support Program (CSP) in the villages of Pacific towns of Northern Samar. Since our teams are being targeted by the communist terrorist group, it would be better that we send additional forces,” Layug said in a phone interview Thursday.
The additional battalion will be deployed to the towns of Palapag, Mapanas, Gamay and Lapinig.
The remaining active NPA platoon with about 30 fighters was frequently sighted in the upland villages of these towns.
These NPA remnants were behind the planting of banned anti-personnel mines that injured seven soldiers belonging to the CSP team in the village of Magsaysay in Mapanas, Northern Samar.
Soldiers were patrolling the area when rebels detonated the mines early morning on July 5. All soldiers who suffered multiple injuries are now in stable condition, according to the military.
The deployment of additional troops will ensure the security of CSP teams from the military while the Philippine National Police was tasked to rid communities from NPA threats, Layug said.
These troopers belonged to the Army’s 3rd Infantry Battalion and arrived in Eastern Visayas last February. The unit served as a maneuver unit in the region for peaceful and orderly elections.
The battalion was deployed in Davao in 2016 to help fight the NPA in Paquibato District in the hinterlands of Davao City, the hotbed of armed rebels.
The Army’s 10th Infantry Division reported on its Facebook page that the 3rd Infantry Battalion dismantled in 2019 the NPA guerilla front 54 operating in Davao City.
In 2020, the unit wiped out the NPA guerilla front 56 also in Davao City.
The unit was also instrumental in dismantling the NPA sub-regional committee 5 of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee.
The Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA)
