Police crime investigators take fingerprints of slain rebels in Compostela Valley province in southern Philippines. Three New People's Army rebels are killed in two days of sporadic fighting in the province. (Army Brigade Photo)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 13, 2008) – Government soldiers killed at least three communist rebels and wounded a still undetermined number of gunmen in two days of sporadic clashes in the southern Philippines, officials said Tuesday.
Officials said fresh fighting erupted on Tuesday in Compostela Valley barely a day after government soldiers killed two rebels in two separate clashes in the province, a known stronghold of the New People’s Army (NPA), blamed for the spate of attacks on government and military targets in recent weeks.
“Three rebels were killed in the fighting and many are believed wounded in the clashes. We have no casualties and the government offensives still continue in the area,” a local army commander, Colonel Roland Bautista, told the Mindanao Examiner.
He said soldiers recovered the bodies of the slain rebels, including weapons and medical kits left behind by the fleeing NPA gunmen.
Bautista said the rebels were behind the series of attacks on military forces and mining sites in Compostela Valley. “The NPA is also engaged in extortion activities, victimizing innocent people and the military operations are hampering all these,” he said.
He also accused militant groups of supporting the NPA. “This is the reason why left-leaning, cause-oriented groups are putting pressure to the military to stop the military operations in the province to allow unhampered movements of rebels who are extorting money from innocent civilians and traders,” he said.
Bautista did not identify these groups, but said the military will continue its operations and finish off the NPA.
“We will finish them off to free the people from the bondage of abuses and atrocities of the NPA in Compostela Valley and other areas in Mindanao. We want peace to reign and civilians are supporting us in this campaign,” he said.
Just last week, NPA rebels freed two captured government soldiers and warned of more attacks in the province.
Officials said fresh fighting erupted on Tuesday in Compostela Valley barely a day after government soldiers killed two rebels in two separate clashes in the province, a known stronghold of the New People’s Army (NPA), blamed for the spate of attacks on government and military targets in recent weeks.
“Three rebels were killed in the fighting and many are believed wounded in the clashes. We have no casualties and the government offensives still continue in the area,” a local army commander, Colonel Roland Bautista, told the Mindanao Examiner.
He said soldiers recovered the bodies of the slain rebels, including weapons and medical kits left behind by the fleeing NPA gunmen.
Bautista said the rebels were behind the series of attacks on military forces and mining sites in Compostela Valley. “The NPA is also engaged in extortion activities, victimizing innocent people and the military operations are hampering all these,” he said.
He also accused militant groups of supporting the NPA. “This is the reason why left-leaning, cause-oriented groups are putting pressure to the military to stop the military operations in the province to allow unhampered movements of rebels who are extorting money from innocent civilians and traders,” he said.
Bautista did not identify these groups, but said the military will continue its operations and finish off the NPA.
“We will finish them off to free the people from the bondage of abuses and atrocities of the NPA in Compostela Valley and other areas in Mindanao. We want peace to reign and civilians are supporting us in this campaign,” he said.
Just last week, NPA rebels freed two captured government soldiers and warned of more attacks in the province.
Rigoberto Sanchez, a rebel spokesman, said the duo - Napoleon Gerasmio and Huberto Corbita - were released 12 days later after their families appealed to the NPA to spare the lives of the soldiers.
The NPA is the armed wing of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front, fighting for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
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