At least eight members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in two separate clashes after government troops attacked the rebels’ hideout in upland San Isidro village, Las Navas, Northern Samar, on Thursday.
The Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division (ID) reported on Friday that the number of fatalities increased from an initial four to eight, marking a significant achievement in the government’s anti-insurgency campaign.
The first firefight erupted around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday as military forces assaulted a heavily fortified enemy hideout, which was surrounded by anti-personnel mines banned under International Humanitarian Law. This prompted the soldiers to call for fire support, according to 8th ID spokesperson Capt. Jefferson Mariano.
“The clash yielded an intense exchange of fire, resulting in the death of seven armed rebels and the seizure of five M16 rifles and one R4 rifle with an attached M203 grenade launcher,” Mariano stated in a phone interview.
A second clash occurred at 10 a.m. as reinforcing troops from the 803rd Infantry Brigade tracked down fleeing rebels heading west of the site of the first encounter. This engagement resulted in a 30-minute gun battle that killed one additional NPA fighter and led to the seizure of one R4 rifle.
The military operation was launched following information from a concerned civilian about armed men conducting extortion activities and threatening farmers in the area.
8th ID commander Maj. Gen. Adonis Ariel Orio attributed the success of the operation to the effective cooperation of local residents with the soldiers’ mission to eliminate insurgency in the region.
“We have repeatedly called on them to return to their families, but this group continues to cling to their twisted ideology that has claimed the lives of countless Filipinos,” Orio stated. “We therefore reaffirm our call to the remaining members of the communist terrorist group: this may be your best chance to lay down your arms, abandon the armed struggle, and return to the fold of the law. We will not stop until Eastern Visayas is free from your acts of terror. We will hit you hard,” he added.
The mountains of Las Navas town have been known as a stronghold for the NPA, where government forces have frequently clashed with rebels in the upland villages.
In a separate statement, Las Navas Mayor Philbert Tan encouraged the remaining rebels to surrender, noting that they no longer have the support of the villagers.
