NPA rebels kill 2 pro-army militias in Agusan Sur

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 17, 2010) – Two pro-government militias were killed and two others wounded in a clash with communist rebels in Agusan del Sur province in the southern Philippines, an army spokesman said Sunday.

Officials said the fighting broke out in the village of Manat in Trento town after militias intercepted Saturday a group of New People’s Army rebels. One of the dead was the leader of the militias, John Mark Domogoy.

“Pursuit operation is going on,” said Major Noli Kanashiro, of the 4th Infantry Division. “Villagers are now defending themselves against the NPA which has been victimizing innocent civilians. The people are angry and they are now fighting back to defend themselves.”

He said the fighting also left a still undermined number of casualties on the rebel side. He said NPA forces also left behind one M14 automatic rifle and two land mines, including a medical kit.

On Saturday, security forces also clashed with NPA rebels in Davao del Sur and wounding three soldiers in the village of Sinoron in Santa Cruz town where troops had been tracking down the gunmen tagged as behind the spate of attacks in the province.

The NPA is the armed wing of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines which has been waging a secessionist war for decades now.

New Zealand has only this month blacklisted the CPP and the NPA and included the two groups on its list of international terrorist organizations. (Mindanao Examiner)