ISULAN, Sultan Kudarat – Seven suspected New People’s Army rebels were killed in a military airstrike on their major encampment in the mountains bordering Palimbang and Sen. Ninoy Aquino in Sultan Kudarat on Christmas Day.
Lt. Col. Anhouvic Atilano, spokesperson of the 6th Infantry Division (6th ID), said the air assault enabled government troops to penetrate the encampment where some 100 NPA rebels were gathered to celebrate the 52nd founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines yesterday.
The base was hit by a Global Positioning System (GPS)-guided smart bomb dropped by a Philippine Air Force FA-50 jet.
“The NPA members were supposed to hold a regional plenum for the CPP-NPA in the area.” Atilano said.
He said troops from the 603rd Infantry Brigade launched operations against the NPA rebels after receiving intelligence reports from residents that the rebels were massing up in the mountains which could only be reached by foot for three days.
He said troops recovered three bodies, including that of two NPA amazons. Also recovered were two power generating sets, assorted firearms, and Improvised Explosive Devices.
Major Gen. Juvymax Uy, 6th ID commander, said the military operations on the major encampment of the NPA Far-South Mindanao Regional Committee operating in Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and South Cotabato started last Monday.
A ground assault followed the airstrike which led to the discovery of the NPA base camp in Sitio Kalumutan in the boundaries of Palimbang, Lebak, Kalamansig, and part of Senator Ninoy Aquino towns.
He said the disbandment of the major encampment of the NPA was a big blow to the operational strength of the communist rebels in Central Mindanao where some 70 NPA rebels had surrendered to the military in Sultan Kudarat since January this year. (Joseph Jubelag)
