Three soldiers killed, eight wounded in clash with NPA in Masbate

By Ronron
May 28, 2007

Three government soldiers were killed while six others were wounded in an encounter Sunday morning against suspected New People’s Army (NPA) fighters in Masbate province.

Lt. Col. Roderick Parayno, spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Southern Luzon Command (Solcom), said members of the Philippine Army’s 9th Infantry Battalion were pursuing guerillas who burnt a Globe cell site last Saturday in Baleno town when they caught up with the group at around 8am the other day (Sunday) in Barangay Docol of said town.

Parayno said there were more or less 40 heavily armed rebels, whom government troopers fought out with for four hours, leaving five soldiers wounded.

When reinforcement troops from the government side arrived, three more soldiers were killed and three others were wounded.

“The enemy withdrew towards northwest direction, carrying their casualties as manifested by the bloodstains in the route of their withdrawal,” Parayno said.

Parayno said the rebels left behind one improvised landmine, firing wire, Molotov bombs and some documents and personal belongings.

“Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano, Solcom chief, has ordered a more intensified operation in Masbate following series of engagements and terroristic actions in the province,” Parayno said.

The 7,100-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside for 38 years now with the end view of overthrowing the government.

It was tagged as a terrorist group by foreign governments, prompting it to back out from the peace negotiations with the government in August 2004./DMS