NPA commander killed in Mindoro clash
A ranking leader of the communist New People’s Army was killed while three others were wounded, including two amazons, during an encounter last Sunday with Army troopers in Mindoro Occidental.
Killed was Erasmo Poblador, alias Ka Mando, 55, squad leader of the platoon 2 Komite Larangan Gerilya 2 of the
Col. Mario Chan, Army’s 204th Infantry Brigade commander, said Poblador’s group were on a mission to ambush government troops when the rebels were intercepted by an 18-man Army platoon led by 2nd Lt. Julius Daug along Sitio Tiquian, Barangay Monteclaro in
After a 15-minute firefight, the communist rebels withdrew, taking along with them their other wounded guerrillas, including two amazons.
“The residents spotted the fleeing rebels carrying their wounded companions, two of them women,” Chan told The STAR.
There is no casualty on the government side.
The Army troopers recovered at the crime scene an M16 rifle, clamor mine components, and a hand grenade.
Chief Superintendent Luisito Palmera,
Palmera also sent elements of the Provincial Mobile Group (PMG) of the Mindoro Oriental police to augment Army troopers conducting pursuit operations.
Chan said residents of the area reported the plan of at least 40 communist guerrillas, headed by Poblador, to ambush government forces in the area.
“It was the local folk who reported their ambush plans to us. That’s why we recovered clamor mines and its components in the encounter site,” said Chan.
The Army commander said the local populace is cooperating in their anti-insurgency operations in the
Poblador joined the communist movement in 1989.
He reportedly led attacks against government troopers in the past.
The latest NPA attack was against a police Special Action Force (SAF) unit before the May elections. – Non Alquitran
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