Army conducts aerial inspection in Himamaylan following twin encounter
FOLLOWING the twin encounter in Himamayalan on Thursday, the Philippine Army conducted an aerial inspection in the southern Negros Occidental City yesterday, October 7.
Captain Mervin Rosal, Civil-military Operations Officer of the 303rd Infantry Brigade said in a statement that no less than Brigade commander Brigadier General Inocencio Pasaporte led the inspection.
Pasaporte was accompanied by Lt. Colonel Van Donald Almonte, Battalion Commander of the 94th Infantry Battalion onboard PAF Blackhawk aircraft in conducting the inspection, Rosal said.
He said the aerial inspection aims to provide real-time information to ground force commanders and to have an accurate view of the encounter site especially at Barangay Carabalan.
Rosal added that the activity’s goal is also to further assess the ongoing troops operation in the area.
For his part, Himamaylan City Mayor Raymund Tongson in an advisory yesterday announced that classes at all levels at Barangay Carabalan were cancelled.
Tongson also urged his constituents for the safety of the residents of the barangay amidst the ongoing insurgency issue.
It may be recalled that a twin gun battle occurred between the Philippine army and suspected members of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) at the hinterlands of Himamaylan on Thursday.
The first encounter took place at Sitio Sig-ang of the city’s Barangay Carabalan at about 6 a.m. between the government troops and about 20 members of the CTG.
About 10 hours later, another encounter took place between the army and another group of suspected members of the CTG still near the area of Sitio Sigang.
No casualties were reported in both clashes, the army clarified.*