Five communist rebels killed in separate clashes with government troops in Camarines Sur and Isabela

By Ronron
July 31, 2007

Five suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in two separate clashes Monday against government forces in Camarines Sur and Isabela provinces.

1Lt. Dennis Guillermo, spokesman of the Philippine Army’s 5th Infantry Division, said Tuesday that the first encounter happened in San Mariano town in Isabela at around 6:30 am that resulted in the overrunning of an NPA camp.

Guillermo said elements of the 52nd Division Reconnaissance Company were conducting combat operations when they arrived at the targeted NPA camp tipped off to the military by “reliable informants.”

The said camp, which was allegedly used “as the NPA staging ground for conducting extortion, robbery, cattle rustling and other illegal activities, was located at Sitio Lumalog, Barangay Cadsalan in San Mariano, said Guillermo.

An undetermined number of rebels at the camp engaged the government troops in a heavy firefight for about two hours, until the former withdrew to different directions.

The rebels left behind the bodies of their three comrades killed in the clash. The government troops were brought to the nearest mortuary in town for decent funeral services, Guillermo said.

Private First Class Jose Fernandez from the government side was wounded and was evacuated by chopper to Camp Melchor dela Cruz Station Hospital in Gamu town for medical treatment, said Guillermo.

A clearing operations at the abandoned camp led the government troopers to recover one M16 rifle, five hand grenades, high explosives detonating cords, electrical wires and materials, medical and dental paraphernalia, 10 jungle packs, and four sacks of other personal belongings and documents, said Guillermo.

He said the camp had 20 bunkers, which can accommodate about 60 persons, a kitchen, a classroom, a latrine, and three guard posts.

At 5:30 pm, the second clash erupted in Calabanga town, Camarines Sur, said Lt. Col. Rhoderick Parayno, spokesman of the Southern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Parayno said elements of the 42nd Infantry Battalion were conducting combat operations at Barangay Burabod of said town when they clashed with undetermined number of suspected NPA fighters.

The firefight left two rebels killed, and the recovery of two M16 rifles, said Parayno.

No one was hurt in the government side.

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

Peace talks between the government and the communist movement bogged down in August 2004 after the latter was tagged as a terrorist by United States and European Union governments./DMS