Troops of the Army 23rd Infantry Battalion encountered more or less 10 New People’s Army rebels in Agusan del Norte last Saturday.
A military report disclosed that the encounter took place in Purok 7, Barangay Lower Olave, Buenavista, at about 11:50 a.m.
The 23rd IB received reports from concerned civilian residents about the presence in their barangay of armed men believed to be NPA rebels.
Lt. Col. Francisco L. Molina Jr., commander of the 23rd IB, immediately sent out troops to check on the information.
Upon reaching the area, they chanced upon more or less 10 fully armed NPA rebels. A firefight ensued for about five minutes, after which the NPA fled to different directions.
Upon securing the area, the government troops recovered two Carbine M1 rifles, a caliber .22 pistol, an anti-personnel mine armed with blasting cap, 30 meters of electrical wires, three cartridges of 40mm, HE, a hand grenade, three UHF commercial radios (Cignus), three magazines for Carbine rifles, 350 rounds of live ammunition for Carbine rifles, five cell phones, two binoculars, a monocular, a sniper scope, and seven pack bags containing hammock, personal belongings, and subversive documents.
Molina thanked concerned citizens of Barangay Lower Olave for providing timely information about the presence of NPA rebels in their area. (Francis Wakefield)