Two soldiers hurt in clashes with NPA

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

 

BACOLOD City – Two members of the Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion (IB) were wounded in separate clashes with suspected New People’s Army (NPA) members in two different sitios (sub-village) of Barangay Sandayao, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental on Friday.

The Army withheld the names of the wounded soldiers.

According to Colonel Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde), the military troopers were pursuing the armed rebels following the clash at Barangay Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental last Thursday, when they encountered around 15 armed men at the boundary of the said town and Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental yesterday.

Pasaporte said the two soldiers suffered slight injuries and were transported to a hospital here via chopper.

The firefight lasted for about an hour and a half, which also resulted in the death of an unidentified rebel.

Military troopers recovered from the encounter site a .45-caliber pistol, a rifle, a shotgun, and some personal belongings.

On Thursday, the 62nd IB clashed with suspected rebels when they responded to a report from concerned citizens about the presence of armed men at Sitio Uway- uway, Barangay Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla town.

Authorities recovered from the scene two rice pots, cellular phones, headlight/flashlights, and other belongings.