CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 09 Jun) Government soldiers killed at least 2 communist insurgents in fierce clashes Friday in San Fernando town in the southern Philippine province of Bukidnon, officials said.
The fighting broke out barely a day after New People's Army (NPA) insurgents attacked a construction site in Bukidnon's Malaybalay City, officials said.
Officials believed more insurgents were killed in Friday's fighting, but troops only recovered two bodies left behind by the New People's Army (NPA) in the village of Maputi in San Fernando town in Bukidnon province, the spokesman of the Army's 4th Infantry Division, Lt. Col. Francisco Simbajon, said.
"The fighting erupted after patrolling soldiers ran into a group of communist terrorists past seven in the morning today. Troops are pursuing the terrorists who retreated towards the hinterlands," he told the Zamboanga Journal.
Simbajon said the soldiers also recovered two M14 automatic rifles from the slain NPA members. "The 4th Infantry Division chief, General Cardozo Luna, has ordered the army commander in the area Col. Ricardo Morales to intensify the operation against the NPA," he said.
He said the NPA was behind the attack on the Concepcion Basic Builders Inc., in Malaybalay's Zamboanguita village late Thursday. "No was killed in the raid, but the attackers torched eight engineering vehicles owned by the construction firm. The attack could be connected to NPA extortion," he said.
Peace talks between communist insurgents and the government failed two years ago after the Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front pulled out from the negotiations because of its inclusion to the terror lists of the United States and the European Union.
Rebel leaders demanded that President Gloria Arroyo asks the United States and the European Union to strike them off from the terror lists before they resume peace talks. Manila rejected the demand and suspended safety and immunity guarantee for rebel peace negotiators following the collapse of the talks and the NPA, armed wing of the CPP-NDF, stepped up its offensive in the countryside.
The fighting broke out barely a day after New People's Army (NPA) insurgents attacked a construction site in Bukidnon's Malaybalay City, officials said.
Officials believed more insurgents were killed in Friday's fighting, but troops only recovered two bodies left behind by the New People's Army (NPA) in the village of Maputi in San Fernando town in Bukidnon province, the spokesman of the Army's 4th Infantry Division, Lt. Col. Francisco Simbajon, said.
"The fighting erupted after patrolling soldiers ran into a group of communist terrorists past seven in the morning today. Troops are pursuing the terrorists who retreated towards the hinterlands," he told the Zamboanga Journal.
Simbajon said the soldiers also recovered two M14 automatic rifles from the slain NPA members. "The 4th Infantry Division chief, General Cardozo Luna, has ordered the army commander in the area Col. Ricardo Morales to intensify the operation against the NPA," he said.
He said the NPA was behind the attack on the Concepcion Basic Builders Inc., in Malaybalay's Zamboanguita village late Thursday. "No was killed in the raid, but the attackers torched eight engineering vehicles owned by the construction firm. The attack could be connected to NPA extortion," he said.
Peace talks between communist insurgents and the government failed two years ago after the Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front pulled out from the negotiations because of its inclusion to the terror lists of the United States and the European Union.
Rebel leaders demanded that President Gloria Arroyo asks the United States and the European Union to strike them off from the terror lists before they resume peace talks. Manila rejected the demand and suspended safety and immunity guarantee for rebel peace negotiators following the collapse of the talks and the NPA, armed wing of the CPP-NDF, stepped up its offensive in the countryside.
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