Four NPA rebels killed

Four members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in one of two separate encounters with government troops today in the towns of Binalbagan and Calatrava in Negros Occidental.

In Binalbagan, 303rd Infantry Brigade (303IB) Commander, Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte said elements of the 94th Infantry Battalion (94IB) and the Provincial Mobile Force Company of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) clashed with at least 15 communist-terrorist rebels in Barangay Bi-ao at around 9:30 a.m.

The clash resulted in the deaths of four NPA rebels. Pasaporte was yet to confirm if there was any casualty among government forces.

However, he confirmed that the rebel group that clashed with government troops in Binalbagan today were the same rebels involved in the ambush of a patrol car belonging to the Binalbagan Municipal Police Station in February, of this year.

Government forces recovered an M16 assault rifle, an M14 rifle, and a .45 caliber pistol in the encounter site.

Pasaporte added they were still establishing the identities of the four NPA fatalities.
Calatrava

Meanwhile in Calatrava, troops from the 79th Infantry Battalion (79IB) have also clashed with at least seven NPA rebels in Barangay Marcelo.

As of press time, however, both the 79IB and the 303IB have yet to release the result of the encounter which was reported to have begun at around 12:30 p.m.

The 79IB believes that the rebels they have encountered were remnants of the dismantled NPA Northern Negros Front.* (DGB)