Soldier dead in another landmine attack

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Another soldier was killed while four others were wounded when a landmine exploded during an encounter with suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Maco, Compostela Valley yesterday morning.

Capt. Ernest Carolina, spokesman of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, said elements of the 271st Infantry Battalion chanced upon some 60 rebels belonging to the NPA’s Front 27 and Pulang Bagani Command 6 in Sitio Tagsing, Barangay Panoraon and a firefight ensued.

Carolina said the insurgents could have also suffered casualties based on witnesses’ accounts. 

The identity of the slain soldier has been withheld, as his family still has to be informed about his death.

Yesterday’s incident was the latest in a series of landmine blasts that targeted government forces in the past few days.

Last Monday, seven soldiers were killed while eight others were wounded when a landmine went off along a road as a truckload of government forces was passing as they were pursuing NPA guerrillas who earlier had raided a police station in Matan-ao, Davao del Sur. Two policemen and two rebels were also killed in the raid. 

Last week, at least 11 people, including seven soldiers, who were aboard three ambulances of the Philippine Red Cross and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reducation and Management Council, were injured when a landmine exploded in the hinterlands of Bansalan, Davao del Sur.