AFP says NPA now kept to launching token attacks

BUTUAN CITY — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has repulsed all attempts by the New People’s Army (NPA) to harass its units that are situated in far-flung areas in the Caraga region, military commanders in the field reported yesterday.

In separate flash reports to their respective headquarters’ tactical command centers, battalion commanders said the NPA has only been able to launch token attacks against these units located in far-flung areas of Caraga in a bid to just establish their continued presence in the region.

“They have no capability to launch a bigger attack and they only conduct hit and run to soft targets (small team or unit in far-flung areas),” claimed the Civil Military Operations (CMO) officer of the Army’s 401st Infantry (Unity) Brigade Capt. Rodulfo S. Cordero.

“They even did not defend their regional headquarters of the CPP-NPA Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) that was recently overran and captured by our operating troops where several bomb-making materials and improvised explosive devices were left behind in the Andap Valley Complex in Surigao del Sur, the 401st CMO officer said.

The CAFGU Active Auxiliary (CAA) Lubo Patrol Base under the 36th Infantry (Valor) Battalion (36th IB) based in Sitio Lubo, Barangay Gacub, in Cantilan town, Surigao del Sur, was already harassed thrice, it said.

On Tuesday, NPA terrorists under guerrilla-committee 30 of the CPP-NPANEMRC harassed the Lubo Patrol Base at 4 a.m. then at 9 a.m., in both separate attacks the perpetrators did not succeed in taking over the patrol base due to strong resistance of the defenders, 36th IB CMO Officer Capt. Francisco P. Garello Jr. also reported.

No one was reported hurt on both sides during the two incidents, he said.

“At 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 28, 2017, some 50 heavily armed NPA terrorists also attacked the CAA Lubo Patrol Base, but again failed to overrun it due to heroic and gallant show of force made by the defenders despite of their limited numbers compared to their attackers,” claimed the 36th IB CMO officer.

However, despite these failed attacks by the NPA, Lt. Col. Xerxes A. Trinidad, commanding officer of the 36th IB “Valor” Battalion, said the military has strengthened its Lubo Patrol Base and other neighboring detachments under his areas of responsibility.

Meanwhile, all military and police units spread all over the five provinces and six cities in northeastern Mindanao were in “full alert” status to avert any surprise attacks by the NPAs during or after the CPP anniversary on Dec. 26.