THE New People’s Army (NPA) killed seven Army soldiers in an ambush staged by guerrillas in Sitio Quarry Benguet, Barangay Salvacion, Monkayo, Compostela Valley, on July 1.
Roel Agustin II, spokesman of the NPA-Compostela Valley-Davao East Coast Sub-Regional Operations Command, said a company of NPA fighters clashed with a scout platoon of the 25th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army, killing seven soldiers and wounding several others.
“The NPA confiscated one R4 assault rifle, seven military packs, one military Riflescope and hundreds of rounds of ammunition for M60 and K3 machine guns,” Agustin said.
On June 12 NPA guerrillas also blasted the detachment of the 25th IB in Barangay Rizal and demolished a detachment of the 72nd IB in Sitio Dipo, Barangay Upper Ulip, on June 22.
“In retaliation, the military immediately shelled the civilian areas with 105-millimeter howitzer rounds for two straight days. MG-520 attack helicopters also conducted bombing runs on nearby villages six times, while Army soldiers burned nine houses of peasants and Lumad in Sitio 56, Barangay Rizal,” Agustin said.