Firearms, war materiel seized in encounter

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Some firearms, war materiel, and personal belongings were seized in an encounter between military forces and suspected New People’s Army (NPA) at Sitio Martisan, Barangay Cambayobo, Calatrava, Negros Occidental yesterday.

Captain Dan Carlo Samoza, 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) civil military operations (CMO) officer, said the soldiers conducted operations to hunt down a group of rebels tagged behind the killings in the town and neighboring areas when the firefight ensued around 8:40 a.m.

Samoza said they also received information from concerned citizens, prompting them to launch the operation.

No injuries were reported on the government side while bloodstains were seen from the enemies’ route, according to Samoza.

No other details were provided as of press time, as pursuit operation is ongoing.

The recent murder of a businessman in Toboso town this month was claimed by the NPA, which is being suspected by the police to be the same group behind the killings in Calatrava town last year.

The Toboso incident was the first insurgency-related incident this year in the province.