A MARINE trooper was killed and three others were injured in a brief firefight with communist New People’s Army rebels in Taytay town, Palawan on Monday afternoon, the military reported yesterday.
Capt. Orchelyn Bobis, spokeswoman of the 3rd Marine Brigade based in Puerto Princesa City, identified the fatality as Private First Class Christian Priela Cuarto, assigned with the Marine Battalion Landing Team-3.
Injured were Corporals Remuel Redondo and Charlie Carorocan and PFC Marlon Escobar Jr.
Bobis said troops from the MBLT-3 were on security operation when they clashed with an undetermined number of NPA rebels at around 3:30 p.m. in Sitio Ibangley in Barangay Abungan. Bobis said the rebels withdrew after a 10-minute firefight.
Bobis said the military has yet to ascertain if there were casualties on the NPA side. She said troops continue to scour the vicinity of the encounter site, adding pursuit operations are also continuing.
