MANILA, Philippines -- A junior Army officer was killed by sniper fire when the unit he was leading was ambushed by New People’s Army guerrillas in Negros Occidental province Tuesday morning, the military said.
And in Samar, Army troops overran what the military described as a heavily fortified NPA “landmine factory.”
Captain Reylan Java, spokesman of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, said 2nd Lieutenant Jose Angelo Esguerra was leading troops of the 47th Infantry Battalion on their way to Barangay Basak, Cauayan town in Negros Occidental, ostensibly for “peace and development work,” when they came under sniper fire before noon in Sitio Manluya, Barangay Tuyom.
Esguerra was brought to Kabankalan Doctors’ Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
On the same day, soldiers from the 32nd Division Reconnaissance Company clashed with NPA rebels in Sitio Avocado, Brgy Talalak, Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental.
In Samar, Lieutenant Colonel Niceforo Diaz Jr., spokesman of the 8th Infantry Division, reported that informants tipped them off to the explosives factory at the boundary of Barangays Santo Nino and Pagsanjan in Paranas town.
“Guided by concerned residents, the soldiers reached the vicinity of the suspected camp at about 5 a.m. on March 5. The NPA rebels who were heavily armed manning the camp were caught off-guard with the arrival of the soldiers prompting them to engage in a brief fire fight as they escaped,” Diaz said.
Sergeant Freddie Gusoso was wounded in the thigh during the fighting.
Found inside a big makeshift shelter and other smaller structures were 44 improvised landmines, a machine used to make them, 20 blasting caps with detonating cords, assorted “explosive production paraphernalia,” a B40-type rocket launcher with an improvised round, and an M16 rifle.
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07-Mar-12, 11:25 AM | Abigail Kwok and Jaime Sinapit | InterAksyon.com | Article Link
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