Army kills NPA rebel in Surigao

Army troops killed a New People’s Army (NPA) rebel in a heavy fighting Thursday morning in Surigao del Norte.

Lt. Col. Eugenio Julio Oisas IV, spokesman of the Cagayan de Oro City-based 4th Infantry Division said scores of the insurgents were also believed wounded in the clash that occurred at about 9:55 a.m. at Sitio Lagangan, Barangay Caras-an, Tago town.

Osias said fighting broke out when Army elements from the 29th Infantry Division chanced upon a 25-man rebel group while extorting money from the local residents in the area.

When fighting ended at about 11 a.m., the troops also recovered an AK-47 and an M-16 rifles while conducting clearing operations and retrieving the body of unidentified insurgent.

Osias said that operations against the fleeing rebels have been launched following the directive issued by Col. Romeo Gan of the  401st Brigade. 

“We have to show to the people that we will never allow the NPAs to go on with their extortion activities,” Osias, quoting Gan, said.