‘Rebel-sniffing’ dogs now used in counter-insurgency

Camp Henry T. Allen, Baguio City — What’s a communist rebel’s smell?

Certainly, dogs might know because military officials here are now working with trained sniffing dogs in tracking down fleeing rebels who fought government troops in Zambales last Thursday.

Army Major Bong Razalan, speaking in behalf of the Northern Luzon Command, said sniffing dogs from a K9 unit of the Philippine Army are now combing the mountains of Zambales and adjacent areas for the fleeing rebels who carried their dead and injured comrades.

Razalan said that in Thursday’s skirmishes in Barangay South Lucapon, Sta. Cruz town, government troops killed New People’s Army (NPA) rebels and seized 12 high-powered firearms after combined troops from the 24th Infantry Battalion, under Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado Jr., the 7th Military Intelligence Battalion, and the PNP’s regional Intelligence and Investigation Division, clashed with some 30 rebels reportedly led by Ka Brix.

Led by 1Lt Herbert Olosan, the troops found the body of one of the rebels’casualties later identified only as Rustom, 12 rifles, some documents and other personal belongings of the rebels.

"More NPAs were believed killed or seriously wounded during the encounter, but their bodies were dragged by their comrades," Razalan said.

Major General Juanito Gomez, commander of the Central Luzon-based 7th Infantry Division, said the rebel group consists of rebels from Zambales, Pampanga and Bulacan who were forced to leave their lairs because of massive military operations. "They moved to Zambales and have started sowing fear and extorting money from the villagers, but the prospective victims and other concerned citizens sought the assistance of the military," Razalan said.