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Friday, September 28, 2007
5 dead, 2 hurt in Agusan Sur clash
By Ben Serrano
Caraga Correspondent
* Encounter occurs amid relief of town police precinct
* Army, police order inquiry on last Sunday's NPA raid
BUTUAN CITY -- At least five communist rebels were killed and two soldiers seriously wounded in a 30-minute firefight in Barangay Johnson, Loreto, Agusan del Sur at 7 a.m. Thursday.
The military said the communist rebels belonging to the Front Committee 34 of the communist New People's Army (NPA) Southern Mindanao Regional Command engaged a patrol team from the Bravo Company of the Army's 28th Infantry Battalion (IB) in the area.
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The encounter occurred even as the Surigao del Sur police confirmed the relief of the 26-member municipal police in Cantillan, Surigao del Sur province, also Thursday.
Surigao del Sur Provincial Police Director Alex Ga said the relief is in relation to last Sunday's raid by 200 communist NPA rebels on the Cantillan police precinct that resulted in the theft of 20 firearms and assorted ammunition.
The military said communist rebels headed by a certain "Kumander Nolan" fired upon its patrol team.
The two still unidentified wounded Army troopers were airlifted to Davao City for treatment. Previously, the military and the police declared a full alert status in the Caraga region in the wake of last Sunday's raid.
As this developed, Ga said the relief order was issued by newly installed Caraga Police Director Jaime Elorita Milla.
Under investigation
Ga said he is also under investigation for last Sunday's raid.
At present, the Caraga Police Regional Mobile Group has temporarily assumed as peace officers in Cantillan town, which is 300 kilometers away from Butuan City.
In 2005, communist rebels raided the municipal police precinct in Lingig, Surigao del Sur. They took the town mayor hostage and used him as a human shield during their escape.
Last June 27, communist rebels also raided a detachment of the Army's 23rd IB in Barangay Lawan-Lawan, Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte and carted several firearms.
The military said some Civilian Auxiliary Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) members who were former communist NPA rebels, allowed the rebels to enter the Las Nieves town detachment.
Milla said to prevent further attacks by communist insurgents, regional and provincial mobile groups were mobilized to patrol hinterland areas.
Two towns in Surigao del Norte and another town in Surigao del Sur are the alleged targets of the communist group.
"I have declared a full alert status in the entire Caraga...in the wake of the NPA attack," Milla said.
He said they have tapped the Army's 401st and 402nd Brigades to pursue the rebels responsible for last Sunday's raid.
Fourth Infantry Division Chief Jose T. Barbieto, area command chief of the Army's Northeastern and Northern Mindanao Fourth Infantry (Diamond) Division, ordered field unit commanders to assist the police in pursuing the rebels.
Last Monday, Lieutenant General Cardozo M. Luna, chief of the military's Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMincom), also ordered all field unit brigade and battalion commanders to go "all out" against communist insurgents in their respective areas of jurisdiction. (Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (September 28, 2007 issue)
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