Two soldiers killed, seven wounded in clash with NPA in Sorsogon

By Ronron
July 30, 2007

Two government troopers were killed while seven others were wounded in an encounter with suspected communist rebels from late Sunday evening until before dawn Monday in Sorsogon province.

Military spokesman Lt. Col. Rhoderick Parayno from the Southern Luzon Command said the incident happened from 10pm until 2am at the boundary of Juban and Magallanes towns.

“A platoon of soldiers belonging to the 2nd Infantry Battalion (of the Philippine Army) were conducing combat operations when fired upon by undetermined number of communist terrorists,” Parayno said.

Parayno refused to identify the two killed soldiers pending notification of their next of kin, but those wounded include the platoon leader, a certain Lt. Dumaog, and six of his men, identified as Corporals Depante and Agagad, Privates Aguila and Palencia, and, Privates First Class Cereno and Bermido.

He said all seven were brought to Sorsogon Doctor’s Hospital for medical treatment.

Parayno said 2nd IB commander Lt. Col. Benigno Antonio ordered the dispatch of more troops to corner the suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) but there is no immediate report of casualties on the side of the rebels.

The 7,100-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside in the last 38 years and the government hopes to crush it by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term.

Peace talks between the communist movement and the government bogged down in August 2004 after the former was tagged as a terrorist by foreign governments./DMS