Soldiers clash with NPA rebels in Leyte

By 802nd Infantry Brigade, 8ID, PA
March 26, 2013

ORMOC CITY – Government troops clashed with rebels in a series of firefights during holy Monday and Tuesday in Barangays Liberty and Gaas, respectively, of this City, according to Captain Dranreb F Canto, Civil-Military Operations Officer of the Army’s 802nd Brigade.

Troops from 19th Infantry Battalion under Second Lieutenant Amin A Macalintangui while conducting security patrol was fired upon by more or less ten NPA rebels in the outskirt of Barangay Liberty, Ormoc City on March 25, 2013 at three o’clock in the afternoon.

After 15 minutes of firefight, the rebels fled. One soldier suffered a minor wound in his left shoulder and was immediately brought to OSPA Hospital in Ormoc City where he was treated and then released immediately as an outpatient.

The fleeing rebels were pursued by the troops and another clash occurred on March 26, 2013 at one o’clock in the afternoon in the vicinity of Barangay Ga-as, this City. Firefight lasted for fifteen (15) minutes. Government troops suffered no casualty while three rebels were seen by the troops felled down by bullets and dragged by the withdrawing rebels. The troops found bloodstains on the positions of the rebels where they also recovered one back pack, one improvised bandoleer with six magazines for M16 rifle with one hundred fifteen (115) rounds live ammunitions and one magazine for AK-47 rifle with twelve (12) live ammunitions.

Colonel Rafael C Valencia, Commander of the Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade based in Camp Downes, Ormoc City said that the armed confrontations with the NPA rebels were the results of the continuous conduct of security patrols by the troops to protect the communities and the Bayanihan Teams conducting peace and development activities in these areas.

“With a number of rebels wounded during the encounters, we are offering our help to get them immediate medical treatment,” Colonel Valencia added. He further asked the populace in the areas surrounding the encounter sites to serve as conduits for the wounded rebels and the soldiers so that “we can immediately bring them to the nearest hospital.”