DAVAO CITY- Two alleged members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in a 45-minute gunfight with the 401st Infantry Brigade in the vicinity of Purok Barangay Villa Undayon, Bayugan City, Agusan Del Sur on Sunday (November 7).
The communist rebels were identified by the soldiers as alias Joseph and Kaykay who are both members of the Regional Sentro de Grabidad (RSDG)
The government troops launched a simultaneous Focused Military Operations (FMO) when they encountered around 40 members of the NPA’s Regional Operational Command (ROC) led by Edilberto Dabal Y Reponte alias Bong/Waco and Regional Sentro de Grabidad (RSDG) led by Judel Vertudazo Y Cayapos alias Janjalani/ Jerby of the Northeastern Regional Committee (NEMRC).
Soldiers seized two high powered firearms, ammunition, two commercial radios, a detonating switch, 45-meter detonating cord, firing wire, IED, 7 improvised firing devices, portable generator, medical items, blasting cap, and backpacks w/ personal belongings.
Captain Linley Marl Dajao said, the civil military operation (CMO) officer of the Philippine Army’s 401st IB, that there are blood stains discovered in the encounter sites during the clearing operations believed to be from their wounded comrades.
Barangay Villa Undayon is one of the recipient barangays of the Barangay Development Program of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
The civilian populace of the said barangay who have enjoyed relative peace and discarded atrocities reported to proper authorities the presence of a large number of NPA’s temporarily encamping near their area that later acted on by 401st Brigade.
Brigadier General Allan D Hambala, the commander of 401st IB said they launched the combat operations in swift response to the information voluntarily given by concerned local populace.
The civilians in the barangay were alarmed by the presence of the armed groups and we deployed to ensure the safety and security of the people in Brgy. Villa Undayon and the neighboring communities, he said.
Hambala has called on the members of the CPP-NPA to lay down arms and surrender peacefully. (By Ruth Palo)
Photo:401st IB
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