Army soldiers, rebels clash anew

AFTER A short lull, Army soldiers and suspected New People’s Army (NPA) clashed again on Nov. 12, 2018 in Igbaras, Iloilo.

Two platoons under the Army’s 61st Infantry Battalion traded shots with more ro less 20 rebels at Sitio Butuan, Barangay Igcabugao around 11:20 a.m.

Colonel Alberto Desoyo, 301st Infantry Brigade commander, said the firefight lasted for more than 20 minutes.

It was believed that the soldiers encountered members of the Suyak Platoon, which is under the Southern Front Committee of the NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyon Panay.

As of late afternoon of Friday, Desoyo said that are verifying reports of a single casualty on the rebel side.

He added that the soldiers were on strike operation when they encountered the suspected rebels.

“We learned that they could be NPA members since some of them were wearing shirts with the words Hukbong Bayan etched on the front,” he added.

Desoyo believed that the sightings could be related to the rebel’s elections plan or recruitment activities.

On Nov. 8, 2018, rebels allegedly harassed a detachment of the CAA (CAFGU Active Auxiliary) of the 12th Infantry Battalion at Barangay Katipunan, Tapaz, Capiz.

The rebels withdrew after a 10-minute firefight.

SOURCE: The Daily Guardian

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