FOUR New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were killed in a series of firefights with government troops in Las Navas town in Northern Samar yesterday morning.
The fighting also resulted in the seizure of an NPA hideout and five high-powered firearms, the Army’s 8th Infantry Division (ID) said.
The fighting broke out in the hinterlands of Barangay San Isidro at around 2:30 a.m., said 8th ID spokesman Maj. Jefferson Mariano.
Mariano said 8th ID troops launched a combat operation in the area after a civilian reported the presence of armed men conducting extortion activities and threatening the farmers in the area.
The armed men were members of the NPA’s Regional Headquarters of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee, said Mariano.
The rebels were holed out in a “heavily fortified” camp, which Mariano said was surrounded by anti-personnel mines.
Mariano said this prompted the soldiers to “call for fire support.”
At around 10 a.m., reinforcing troops again clashed with the rebels, west of the initial encounter site.
Initial information from the field showed four rebels died in the clashes, said Mariano.
He said the identities of the slain rebels were still being established.
“Captured from the CTG (communist terrorist group) hideout were four M16 rifles and one M203 grenade launcher,” said Mariano.
Mariano said pursuit operations were continuing against the fleeing rebels as of yesterday afternoon.
