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Thursday, April 12, 2007
Military bombs rebel positions in Panabo
By Ben O. Tesiorna
DAVAO CITY -- Philippine Air Force OV-10 planes dropped bombs at a banana farm in Panabo City Wednesday, where New People's Army (NPA) rebels are said to be holed up after their successful raid of a jail armory last April 8.
Major Randolph Cabangbang, spokesman of the Eastern Mindanao Command, said the bombing run started after elements of Task Force Raptor under Brigadier General Antonio Amodia encountered the still undetermined number of rebels Wednesday morning.
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The rebels were said to be sniping at armor assets of the military, thus the decision to bomb the rebel position.
The encounter area is said to be the same area where the rebels reportedly massed up before Sunday's raid on the Davao Penal Colony (Dapecol).
Cabangbang said the same group of rebels who raided Dapecol clashed with government soldiers Wednesday.
He said Tuesday's massacre of the Gonzaga family in Calinan, Davao City was apparently part of the NPA's diversionary tactic to shift the military's attention away from the raiders.
"Akala siguro nila magshi-shift na yung attention namin sa Calinan dahil sa nangyaring massacre doon (They thought that we would shift our attention to Calinan because of the massacre that happened there). But we did not take their bait, we kept on tracking the raiders hanggang nagka-enkwentro na nga (until the encounter on) Wednesday," Cabangbang said.
The Army's 73rd Infantry Battalion, meanwhile, reported that 50 to 60 rebels took hostage farm residents of Manay in Panabo, using them as human shields.
As of Wednesday, no casualties have been reported on the government side.
The brigade-size Task Force Raptor is still squaring off with the rebels Wednesday, aided by bomber planes and helicopter gunship. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Dumaguete. (April 12, 2007 issue)
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