3 NPA KILLED, 3 HIGH POWERED FIREARMS RECOVERED AND 3 SOLDIERS WOUNDED IN AN ENCOUNTER

*Please click here to link related article: 3 NPA ANG NAMATAY, 3 KA ARMAS ANG NAILOG, 3 KA SUNDALO ANG NASAMDAN SA NAHITABONG PANAGSANGKA
*http://zambopenjournal.blogspot.com/2013/01/3-npa-killed-3-high-powered-firearms.html

By JONG CADION

Major Gen Ricardo Rainier Cruz III

(Photo by JONG CADION)

PAGADIAN CITY – Three members of the New people’s Army (NPA) were killed, and 3 high powered firearms were recovered by the government troops while 3 members of 14^th Scout Ranger Company (14SRC) were wounded during the encounter recently at Sitio Maimbong, Brgy. Mati in the municipality of Tigbao, Zamboanga del Sur at about 2:45pm Wednesday, January 23, 2013.

The troops of the 4^th Scout Ranger Battalion (4SRBN) under operational control of 102nd Infantry Brigade were on patrol when they chanced upon and engaged more or less eighty (80) NPAs, Col Gerardo Barrientos Jr, the Commander of the 102^nd Infantry Brigade in his report to the headquarters of the 1^st Infantry (Tabak) Division.

The rebel group is believed to be with the Section Committee Kara and the Main Regional Guerilla Unit which are both under the Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee under AKA Natan and AKA Elyong, Col. Barrientos said. 

The encounter lasted for about one hour and 20 minutes that resulted to the wounding of three (3) soldiers while three (3) local communist terrorist were killed.

Recovered from the dead body of the local communist terrorists were one AK 47, M14 and M1 Garand rifles and other personal belongings left by them as they flee from the soldiers.

The Commander of the 1^st Infantry Division, Major Gen Ricardo Rainier Cruz III directed the military commanders in the area to attend for the needs of the wounded soldiers and likewise secure the safety of the civilians at the affected area. Further, he said that the encounter was the result of the cooperation of civilians in the province of Zamboanga del Sur. Nevertheless, he called on the NPAs in the area to abandon their armed struggle and help in good governance to give peace and progress a chance in this part of Mindanao.

The encounter was also the result of pursuit operations conducted by the military following the NPA attacked of 5^th CAFGU Detachment at Purok 5 in Brgy. Dumalian, San Miguel, Zamboanga del Sur on January 21, 2013 at 11:30 in the evening.

As of this report, the 102nd Brigade deployed more troops to pursue the NPAs and to bring the wounded soldier to the nearest hospital in Pagadian City.