|
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Rebels ambush army, killing 3 soldiers, wounding 21
DAVAO CITY -- Three soldiers were killed while 21 others were reported wounded when New People's Army (NPA) rebels ambushed a military convoy in President Roxas, North Cotabato Monday morning.
Colonel Gaudencio Pangilinan, commander of the Philippine Army's 1102nd Infantry Brigade, said his men onboard two army trucks were on their way back to barracks from a combat operation when the vehicle hit a land mine along Barangay Ilustre around 5:15 in the morning.
Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo
After the explosion, rebels waiting in ambush open fired at the soldiers.
Soldiers from neighboring areas rushed to the ambush site and pursued the fleeing rebels, while policemen from President Roxas and Magpet towns retrieved the casualties.
Before reaching the ambush site, one of the trucks had broken down, forcing the convoy to stop, army Major Lyndon Paniza said in a telephone interview.
Paniza said he suspected a villager tipped off the rebels because the convoy came under attack farther down the road.
Paniza said troops were scouring the area for a wounded rebel who was apparently left behind after the clash. "We will finish this fight. We will not let down," he said.
Helicopter gunships were on standby to back up troops pursuing the guerrillas, he said.
Two wounded soldiers were hospitalized in serious condition. Doctors were forced to give an injured officer tranquilizer shots after he angrily insisted on joining his men in combat, nurse Fe Mendoza said.
One of the wounded was identified as Lieutenant Ho, commanding officer of the Charlie Company of the 39th Infantry Battalion, who led his men in an earlier combat operation.
Some of the wounded soldiers are said to be in critical condition as of this writing.
Army troops last week failed to track down guerrillas in the mountainous region after receiving reports of rebels near some villages and an attempt to extort money from rubber and palm oil traders, Paniza said.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Avelino Razon alerted all remote police outposts following a series of communist rebel attacks.
Suspected communist guerrillas gunned down a former police chief Monday in Legazpi City, southeast of Manila. They also have been involved in clashes with troops in southern provinces in the last two weeks, Razon said.
"We are sounding the alarm to (police) units in isolated outposts and far-flung detachments ... to remain vigilant and pro-active," Razon said in a statement.
The rebels withdrew from peace talks in 2004 after accusing the government of instigating their inclusion on U.S. and European Union terrorist lists.
The Philippine military chief, General Hermogenes Esperon, said last month the armed forces were on track to crush the insurgency in two years.
He said the number of rebel fighters had dropped to 5,470, from 5,781 in December, due to battlefield losses, surrenders and desertions.
The rebels have waged a rural-based insurrection, attacking police and military outposts and surviving by collecting so-called "revolutionary taxes" from companies in areas where they operate. (AP/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Baguio. (May 6, 2008 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here. |
|
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
Perez breaks silence on graft charges