SEVEN soldiers were wounded in separate encounters between the government troops and New People’s Army (NPA) in Davao Region.
The recent encounter happened at 10:45 a.m. Tuesday in Barangay Ampawid in Laak in Compostela Valley province, where the firefight between the troops of the Army’s 60th Infantry Battalion and NPA’s Guerilla Front 34 took around 40 minutes.
Tenth Infantry Division spokesperson Ernest Carolina, in a phone interview, said the 60th Infantry Battalion were conducting security patrol operations in the area, following the information about the presence of the NPA when the troops encountered 30 rebels.
"After the firefight, the NPA rebels scampered in different directions. The troops had immediately conducted pursuit operation following a report that there were bloodstains seen in the encounter site," Carolina said.
Thirty-five minutes after an encounter in Laak, the 25th Infantry Battalion encountered the NPA’s Guerilla Front 3 at Sitio Sapdan in Barangay Casoon in Monkayo in Compostela Valley at 12 noon.
Carolina said the troops were also conducting their security patrol operation when they encountered a numbers of communist rebels in the area. He added that firefight lasted for 30 minutes.
A soldier was reportedly wounded during the encounter. He was identified as a Corporal Juni Baysa. He sustained a lone gunshot wound on his left shoulder and was immediately brought to Camp Panacan Hospital in Davao City.
The soldiers also recovered an M16-A1 rifle, an M14 rifle and two improvised landmines, after the encounter.
Meanwhile, on February 10, six soldiers were wounded in an encounter with the guerillas at Sitio Lutangan in Barangay Kapatagan in Digos City in Davao del Sure around 2:30 p.m. The firefight lasted for about 20 minutes.
The wounded soldiers were identified as Sergeant Eliseo C. Peraño; Corporal Marcelino B Bagood Jr.; Private First Class (Pfc.) Olomodin S. Dicampong; Pfc. Lory Kim A. Lacal; Pfc. Genesis C Quilaton; and Private Michael M Guibao, of the 39th Infantry Battalion.
Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) Public Information Office head Capt. Alberto Caber, in a separate interview, said the troops were conducting patrol so to protect the communities who reported an NPA extortion in the area when the rebels fired at them.
One soldier identified as Corp. Ricky Tuarez went missing, but was later on found. Caber said a landmine placed by the rebels went off and injured the soldiers and two rebels in their encounter.
Caber said a certain Rangrang was pointed as leader of the NPA's Extortion Unit of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee operating in Davao del Sur.
He also said the troops are now on its pursuit operation against the rebels.
"We would like to remind them the use of landmine is a violation of the provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian law," Caber said.