By Jong Cadion
PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur (February 8, 2017)
– The members of 53rd Infantry Battalion “Matapat” Troopers had exchanged
gunfire with about ten (10) fully armed men suspected to be members of
SYP-KARA, Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee (WMRPC), the Communist
Rebel New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) unit operating in the Province of Zamboanga
del Sur at about 1:15 this Wednesday afternoon at the boundary of Purok 3 and 4
of Brgy Mati, Tigbao town of this province.
Col. Virgilio Hamos Jr, 53rd IB
Commanding Officer disclosed that the encounter came when the government sent a platoon of troops from Bravo Company,
led by 1Lt Justin Michael C Rabino to the area after receiving an intelligence
report that a group of NPAs were conducting extortion activities in nearby
communities.
Hamos said the exchange of fires lasted for about seven
(7) minutes as the NPAs scampered to different directions.
The clash is the first in this province after
President Rodrigo Duterte lifting of the unilateral ceasefire by the government
last February 3, Col Hamos said.
During the past few months, the 53IB in full
support of the peace efforts of the government exercised maximum restraint and
limited its activities to defensive and security operations, the military
official said.
He said, the NPAs on the other hand took advantage
of the suspension of military operations to recruit, extort and beef up their
ranks which was severely depleted as a result of the offensive operations
launched by the battalion prior to the declaration of the ceasefire.
Hamos also disclosed that no government soldier was
hurt during the clash and were able to recovered from the encounter site were medical
kit bags, backpack, live ammunitions for AK-47, Cal .45 and four (4) cellular
phones which were left by the NPAs during their hasty withdrawal.
The commanding officer of 53IB sent additional
troops to track down the fleeing rebels.
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