ELEMENTS of the 11th Infantry Battalion (11IB) of the Philippine Army have clashed with remnants of the New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Sitio Samac Gamay in Barangay Nalundan, Bindoy town, late Tuesday afternoon, July 2.

Lieutenant Colonel Ramir Redosendo, 11IB commander, said their troops were conducting combat operations in the area when they were tipped off by local residents that they spotted an undetermined number of NPA rebels in the area.

Soldiers immediately went to the area where the rebels were spotted and a gun battle ensued for at least an hour until the rebels were forced to flee in different directions.

Redosendo said no one was hurt in the side of the government forces, while they still do not know if the rebels suffered casualties in the fight.

The battalion commander said his troops are still scouring the encounter site to recover any items left behind by the fleeing rebels.

He added even though his unit had just returned from their deployment in Zamboanga, they have immediately initiated chasing down the rebels.

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Ignacio Madriaga, 302nd Infantry Brigade commander, said the rebels should start thinking twice as the local residents in Negros Oriental are no longer afraid of their presence as they are already fed up by their lies and selfish ideology.

"We will continue to put pressure to these terrorists, and let them feel that Negros Oriental has no place for them," he added.