By Sarwell Meniano
TACLOBAN CITY – Two combatants of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in a brief and intense armed encounter in the upland San Jose village in Mapanas, Northern Samar, on Wednesday.
The Philippine Army reported Thursday that soldiers seized from the clash site two M16 rifles, hundreds of M14 ammunition, five long magazines, and other war materiel.
“During the firefight, government troops outmaneuvered the enemy, leaving two dead rebels behind and forcing the rest of the group to flee in disarray,” the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division said in a statement.
The government side did not sustain any injuries, while the military has yet to release the identify the slain rebels.
Initial information from the Army’s 803rd Infantry Brigade revealed that government troops had a clash with a group of 10 rebels around 4:27 p.m. on Wednesday.
The encounter transpired during a focused military operation in response to reports from concerned residents about the presence of armed individuals conducting extortion activities in the upland communities of Mapanas, according to the military report.
Northern Samar is known as a hotbed of NPA in Eastern Visayas due to its thick forests and poor road networks, making it a strategic location for the rebel group’s activities. (PNA)
