RECOVERED. Various weapons, communications equipment, and personal items are recovered by troops of the 79th Infantry Battalion after a clash with remnants of the dismantled New People’s Army Northern Negros Front in Escalante City, Negros Occidental on Wednesday (Feb. 21, 2024). Three rebels died while four soldiers were wounded during the encounter. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Army)
BACOLOD CITY – Renewed skirmishes claimed the lives of three New People’s Army (NPA) rebels and wounded four government troopers in the hinterlands of Escalante City, Negros Occidental, the Philippine Army reported Thursday.
The series of clashes, which started late Wednesday morning and lasted until Thursday morning in Sitio Mansulao, Barangay Pinapugasan, involved remnants of the dismantled Northern Negros Front (NNF) and troops of the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB).
In a report, the 3rd Infantry Division identified the three rebel fatalities – two males and a young woman – as aliases Michael, Jose and Jandy, who were all killed during the first encounter at past 11 a.m. on Wednesday.
According to the report, Army troopers engaged some eight rebels after learning about the presence of armed men threatening and asking for money and food from the residents.
During the pursuit operation, they had another gunbattle three hours later on Wednesday afternoon, and clashed anew early Thursday around 6 a.m.
After the initial encounter, the troops recovered from the site various weapons, including an AK-47 rifle, a M653 rifle, a caliber .45 pistol, rifle grenades and anti-personnel mine, as well as several mobile phones and handheld radios.
“These encounters have significantly shaken the surviving remnants of the dismantled NNF who are trying to regain their forces here in northern Negros,” 79IB commanding officer Lt. Col. Arnel Calaoagan said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Calaoagan said the wounded government troopers were brought to a hospital and are now in stable medical condition, (PNA)
