2 soldiers killed in clash with Reds

BACOLOD CITY – Two soldiers were killed and eight others were wounded in an encounter with New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Barangay Tan-awan, Kabankalan, Negros Occidental yesterday.

The identities of the victims have been withheld pending notification of their respective families.

It was not immediately known if there were casualties on the side of the communists.

Capt. Ruel Llanes, 303rd Infantry Brigade (IB) Civil Military Operations officer, said soldiers of the 62nd Infantry Battalion were conducting clearing and combat operations in preparation for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections when they clashed with around 60 rebels.

At least 80 barangays in Negros Occidental have been classified as election areas of concern, mostly due to the presence of communist guerrillas.

Brig. Gen. Eliezer Losanes, 303rd IB commander, said the rebels were believed involved in the burning of heavy equipment used for a dam project of the National Irrigation Administration in Kabankalan, killing of a civilian in an ambush in Toboso and burning of a cargo truck loaded with fertilizer in Moises Padilla town earlier this week.

5 rebels slain

In Camarines Sur, an NPA rebel was killed in an encounter with government troopers in Barangay Gubat, Lagonoy on Wednesday.

Four other NPA guerrillas were slain in a clash at the boundary of Bato and Balatan towns on Thursday.

Roadside bombing

An Army soldier was killed and two government troopers were wounded when rebels detonated an improvised explosive device planted along the road at the boundary of Barangays Malinao and Paguring in Libmanan also on Thursday.

More than 200 barangays in Camarines Sur, including rebel-infested areas, are included on the poll watchlist.

Capt. Joas Pramis, 9th Infantry Division public affairs officer, said there are around 200 NPA rebels in Bicol.