SULTAN KUDARAT, Philippines — Clashes along the boundary of South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat provinces on Monday left seven communist rebels and two soldiers dead.
The series of encounters involved New People’s Army guerrillas and personnel of the Army’s 33rd and 27th Infantry Battalions.
Two soldiers of the 27th IB were killed in the hostilities.
The running gunfights along the boundary of Lake Sebu in South Cotabato and Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat also resulted in the capture of Jeffrey Denian, a suspected rebel wounded in the clash.
Three other alleged members of the New People's Army — Armando Barot, Jack Tatao and Bert Lawud — were cornered by soldiers as they were carrying Denian away.
They have been detained by the Bagumbayan municipal police.
Sources from the Bagumbayan and Lake Sebu municipal peace and order councils said seven NPAs died in the skirmishes, two of them were still in their teens.
Villagers also reported seeing three wounded NPAs — identified only as Lito, Roman and Eddie — being carried away by their fleeing comrades.
Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc of the 33rd IB said they treated the Denian's gunshot wounds before he was endorsed to the Bagumbayan municipal police.
The rebels scampered away when they ran out of ammunition, leaving behind a .30-cal Carbine, a 9-mm Ingram machine pistol and four 12-gauge shotguns.
10 rebels surrender
Local officials in Bagumbayan said 10 NPAs yielded peacefully to the 33rd IB about three hours after the skirmishes.
The 10 rebels, who belong to the NPA’s Guerilla Front 73, surrendered to Cabunoc in the presence of a Manobo tribal elder, Datu Tony Paan, and barangay officials.
Senior Superintendent Raul Supiter, director of the Sultan Kudarat provincial police, said 87 families who live near where the skirmish happened evacuated to safer barangays in Bagumbayan.
Supiter said government relief workers from South Cotabato province are now attending to the displaced villagers.