Cagayan de Oro (MDN Digital, April 24) – Gun battle between communist rebels and government forces in Samar province resulted to the death of six soldiers and the wounding of six others, a report from the military said.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in a report sent to MDN digital reported that members of the 46th Infantry Battalion were patrolling in Barangay Beri in Cabiga town when they encountered a group of armed men who were members of the New People's Army. A firefight ensued but unfortunately, six of the army members died on the spot while another six were also wounded.
Reports from Eastern Visayas police said the NPA rebels used improvised explosive device, in which they used to kill at least 6 members of the military and the wounding of six others.
AFP has yet to devulge the names of those who died during encounters pending verifications of their names, as well as notifying their families first of what happened to them in the battle ground.
Capt Reynaldo Aragones, Philippine Army's spokesperson said that during the encounters there were over 20 NPA rebels. However, Aragones claimed, adding that the number of casualties on the NPA side cannot be .
The newest skirmishes came after President Rodrigo Duterte appealed to NPA rebels to go back to the fold of the law and lay down their arms.
The earlier failed talks with the government was represented by the National Democratic Front (NDF) but the Duterte government reportedly walked away from the negotiating table because of off ands on negotiations between the government and the New People's Army.