FOUR soldiers of the Philippine Army were killed while two others were wounded in the latest encounter with members of the New People’s Army (NPA) at Sitio DanDanak, Tambaoan, Besao, Mountain Province.
In a radio interview, Lieutenant Colonel Isagani Nato, Northern Luzon Command spokesperson, identified the rebel group to be part of the Kilusang Larangang Guerilla Ampis headed by a Ka Digbay.
Casualties in the part of the NPA were confirmed while recovered from the incident were K3 squad automatic weapons, M2 grenade launcher, 2 R4 rifles and a handheld radio.
“We were conducting a combat operations at Besao, Mountain Province on Sunday when we had the encounter with members of the New People’s Army which lasted for three hours, unfortunately we incurred casualties,” Nato said.
The names of the four soldiers killed in action and two wounded who are all members of the 81st Infantry Battalion have been withheld until family members are informed.
In the evening of July 16, Mayor Jhonson Bantog II with two police escort and two civilians left the command post at Barangay Kin-iway and proceeded to Barangay Tamboan to check on the situation.
At 9:05 p.m., five members from the Municipal Rural Health Unit of Besao led by Dr. Joy Dicdican and 41 members of the retrieval team from the different barangays led by Vice Mayor Jun Lopsoten left Barangay Kin-iway and proceeded to Barangay Tamboan and are still awaiting for the casualties to be brought down from the encounter site.
“We are continuing our relentless operation with our military operations which have limited the movement of the rebel group in the said area, they are now confined in the area and have no place to go,” Nato added.
Police Regional Office Cordillera Regional Director Rolando Nana who confirmed the report said there were also an undetermined number of casualties on the NPA.