A SUSPECTED communist rebel was killed in an armed clash between the government forces and New Peoples Army (NPA) in Impasug-ong, Bukidnon, Wednesday, August 8.
The military said the slain NPA fighter was believed to be a member of the Section Committee 89 of the North Central Regional Committee.
The joint focused military operations of the Bukidnon Provincial Mobile Forces and troops from the 403rd Infantry Brigade (IB) was launched at the outskirts of Barangay Bontongon following a repeated reports of NPA sightings in the community.
The clash ensued after the government soldiers responded to the complaints of residents on the Maoist guerrillas’ alleged extortion activities among the farmers and radicalization lectures among the lumad youth in the area.
The military said the clash lasted for five minutes and resulted to the confiscation of an improvised rifle, death of an NPA combatant, and wounding of several other members as evident in the bloodstains seen in the encounter site.
Soldiers have yet to identify the killed communist rebel.
After few hours, another encounter erupted between the First Special Forces Battalion and the NPA near the community past 12 noon.
The 10-minute gunfight resulted to the wounding of a government soldier and undetermined number from the enemy's side.
Said wounded soldier was already brought to Camp Evangelista Station Hospital and is now in stable condition.
“We will be relentless in our conduct of Focused Military Operations and other Internal Security Operations activities in collaboration with our PNP counterparts in Bukidnon Province, if only to ensure that our communities will be protected from threats posed by criminal and terrorist organizations such as the CPP-NPA," 403rd IB commander Brigadier General Eric Vinoya said.
"We mourn the loss of another life yesterday and we offer our sincere condolences to the bereaved family of the CNT member who died during the clash.This could not have happened if he heeded our continued call for them to go down, surrender, and embrace peace,” Vinoya added.