By Alexander Lopez
BUTUAN CITY – A New People’s Army (NPA) member was killed in an encounter on Wednesday noon in the hinterlands of Sitio Bulacan, Barangay Bolhoon, San Miguel, Surigao del Sur.
Col. Glenn Joy Aynera, commander of the 401st Infantry Brigade (401Bde), said in a statement Thursday that combined troops from the 75th Infantry Battalion (75IB) and the 3rd Special Forces Battalion recovered five high-powered firearms at the site.
“The operation was initiated following a tip-off from a resident who had grown weary of the presence of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) members, who reportedly extorted money and food supplies from the community,” Aynera said.
The insurgents were identified as remnants of the Regional Operations Command (ROC) of the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC), led by Edilberto Reponte Daval, also known as “Ka Bong” or “Wako”.
Troops found the body of a certain “Ka Keroy,” a member of the ROC-NEMRC, after the rebels abandoned their position.
In a separate operation on Sunday, the 401Bde reported that 75IB troops recovered materials used for fabricating improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Sitio Palompon, Barangay Mahaba, Marihatag, Surigao del Sur.
The recovery included four gallons of a nitro energetic molecule. Aynera emphasized that these operations significantly reduce the capacity of CTG remnants to carry out violent actions and weaken their logistical support systems. (PNA)
