Soldiers skirmishes with NPA in Zamboanga del Norte

Posted by Mindanao Pagadian Frontline

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur (August 20, 2014-MPF NEWS) --- The troops of 55^th Infantry (VIGILANT) Battalion, 1^st Infantry (TABAK) Division skirmished with anundetermined number of armed men believed to be members of the NPA group based in Zamboanga del Norte around 8:12 a.m. of August 18, 2014, Military Official said.

Acting Division Public Affairs Officer Capt Franco Suelto said the troops responded on the information given by the community residents the night prior about the presences of armed men in vicinity of Sitio Basak, Domogok, Siayan, Zamboanga del Norte. While the group of soldiers were approaching the allegedly encampment of the armed men, burst of fire from high powered rifles were sent towards the position of the soldiers. The soldiers were able to immediately takecover and cautiously inched their way to the position of the enemy which prompted the alleged NPA to quickly scamper towards different direction leaving their things behind. 

Suelto said the soldiers were able to recover materials from the temporary encampment such as cooking paraphernalia, backpacks and books on NPA with subversive documents with high-intelligence value. No one was hurt on the government side while undetermined on the NPA side.

101^st Infantry (THREE RED ARROWS) Brigade Commander Colonel Apolinario Y. Alobba who is in-charge on the overall supervision of the Peace and Security activities in the area of Zamboanga del Norte also commented that the remnants of the NPAs will continue to sow fear and terror in their lost grounds but the communities are already tired and know the deceptive ways of the NPAs.

“They do not have an ideology to fight for but plain banditry and thievery. The community reported their unwanted presence to the soldiers who are ready to protect the people from NPA banditry,” Col Alobba said.

Alobba said, “the recent encounter in the boundary of Municipality of Siayan is part of the pursuit operations to contain this band of NPA which also skirmished with the PNP elements at Barangay San Francisco, Sergio Osmeña, Zamboanga del Norte last July 15, 2014 followed by an encounter the next day of 32^nd Infantry Battalion at boundary Purok 5 of Barangay Femagas and Carupay, both Katipunan Municipality, Zamboanga del Norte.  The NPA group roams in the densely forested areas in the boundaries of these municipalities.”

As far as the overall efforts of the 1^st Infantry (TABAK) Division, its Commander, Brigadier General F BarrientosJr AFP said, “These skirmishes between the Army and NPAs are proofs that the community despises the presence of the NPA in their midst.  The people know the NPA banditry and anti-development intentions.They will immediately report the presence of these armed group to soldiers.  This is the recurring theme in the whole Western Mindanao in terms of the NPA threat.”

“The Tabak Division will relentlessly pursue the armed NPAs thru its focused military operations until peace reigns in the communities. The stakeholders are already committed in ‘Winning the Peace’ while the community felt the fruits of the Bayanihan Teams peace and development activities.  The key here is to sustain the gains of the peace and development initiatives of the government.  A genuine just and lasting peace can be achieved,” the Tabak commander said.