CLAVERIA, Misamis Oriental- Two unidentified New People’s Army (NPA) combatants were killed in an armed clashed with state forces in the hinterlands of Misamis Oriental, the military said Friday.
Lt. Col. Ricky L. Canatoy, Commanding Officer of the army’s 58IB, said that the armed encounter took place Thursday in the hinterlands of Haruhay, part of the village of Lunotan in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental.
He said that the unidentified NPA fatalities were male and female who were both armed with M16 rifles, which were also captured by the government troopers.
The government troops were on combat operations in response to
information of the presence of an armed group in the area when the firefight occurred.
Canatoy said that armed skirmishes lasted for 20-minute leading to suspicions that the state forces encountered the elements of the NPA’s sub-regional command 1 of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC).
He said that aside from the two high powered firearms, the government forces also recovered, improvised explosive device, cellular phones, medicines and personal belongings in the encounter site
Canatoy said that the government forces were still in hot pursuit of the fleeing NPA rebels as traces of bloodstains were seen along the escape of the rebels.
Canatoy, however, extended the military’s heartfelt disposition of the cadavers by exhausting all means to inform the respective families about the victims as he appealed to other rebels to voluntarily suurender.
–oOo-
