Four NPA Rebels, 1 Militia Killed In Mindanao Clashes

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 13, 2008) – Four communist rebels and a government militia were killed in separate clashes Monday in Mindanao, a regional army spokesman said.

Major Armand Rico said about 60 New People’s Army rebels attacked a military patrol base at around 4 a.m. in the village of Kingking in Pantukan town in Compostela Valley province.

Troops, from the 72nd Infantry Battalion, fought the rebel forces for three hours until they retreated, Rico said, adding, the clash left two NPA gunmen and a government militia dead.

“Troops repelled the attacks and killed two rebels, but one of our militias was also slain in the fighting,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said another group of rebel forces also clashed with soldiers belonging to the 60th Infantry Battalion shortly before 10 a.m. in Palma Gil village in Davao del Norte’s Talaingod town.

The fighting, he said, also left two NPA rebels killed and none of the military side.Two army soldiers were also killed in the town when NPA rebels ambushed a military truck transporting provisions to troops in the province.

The NPA is fighting for decades to overthrow the democratic government and install a Maoist state in the Philippines.

Rebel leaders broke off peace talks with the Arroyo government in 2004 after accusing Manila of reneging on a deal that would have freed thousands of political detainees and put a stop to the extra-judicial killings of activists in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)

4 Killed In Clashes In Mindanao

A KM450 military truck.

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 11, 2008) – Four people were killed in separate clashes Saturday between government and rebel forces in the restive southern Philippines region of Mindanao, officials said.

Officials said Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels attacked police forces at around 4 a.m. in the village of Sangay in Sultan Kudarat’s Kalamansig town, triggering a running gun battle that left one policeman and a rebel dead.

Maj. Armand Rico, a regional army spokesman, said the attackers were under the MILF’s 104th Base Command of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces. “There is a pursuit operation, police and military forces are pursuing the rebels responsible for the attack,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said communist insurgents also ambushed a KM450 military truck and killed to army soldiers in the village of Dagohoy in the town of Talaingod in Davao del Norte province.

The attack occurred at around 9.15 a.m. as troops were on their way to bring provisions to government forces pursuing New People’s Army insurgents in the province. “The insurgents attacked troops who were only bringing food supplies to soldiers. Two good soldiers perished in the attack,” Rico said.

The MILF is the country’s largest Muslim rebel group fighting for a separate homeland in Mindanao, while the NPA is also fighting to overthrow the democratic government and install a Maoist state in the Philippines.

The military said both rebel groups have in the past forged an alliance to fight the military and train each other forces. The MILF has previously loaned the NPA rocket-propelled grenade launchers and in return communist insurgents trained Moro rebels in guerilla warfare in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)

Troops Capture NPA Camp In Davao Norte

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 11, 2008) – Philippine troops captured a rebel encampment after a firefight on Thursday with communist insurgents in Davao del Norte province.

Lt. Col. Adriano Perez, commander of the 60th Infantry Battalion, said soldiers clashed with New People’s Army rebels until the gunmen retreated from the village of Dagohoy in Talaingod town.

He said there were no reports of casualties from both sides, but troops recovered assorted rebel propaganda. The NPA is fighting for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. (Romy Bwaga)