Sit tight and enjoy the ride!

DAVAO CITY – The military has intensified its operations against communist insurgents in Mindanao, particularly in Compostela Valley, considered as the rebels’ stronghold.

This, as Brig. Gen. Carlos Holganza, commander of the Army’s 1001st Infantry Brigade, said a number of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels could have been killed in last Saturday’s encounter with men of the 28th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Andap, New Bataan, Compostela Valley.

Holganza said the government troops found three improvised shotguns, an M-16 Armalite rifle and belongings of the insurgents after the clash. No one was injured on the military side.

Also in New Bataan town last week, a number of suspected communist rebels were arrested in a military operation.

Besides offensives, Holgan-za said the Armed Forces will also intensify its civil-military operations by helping rehabilitate and clean up schools in time for the opening of classes, among other activities.

Compostela Valley and its neighboring provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur are considered NPA strongholds.

The Armed Forces has vowed to crash the communist insurgency by 2010.