BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Assorted guns and explosives were recovered by Army soldiers, after an encounter with suspected New People’s Army rebels Thursday in Sitio Amian, Brgy. Tan-awan, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental.
Soldiers of the 94th and 15th infantry battalions were conducting joint clearing operations in the area, in response to the reported recruitment activities of the NPA, when they figured in a 25-minute gun battle with 12 suspected rebels, Lt. Col. Angelo Guzman, 94IB commander, said.
No one was hurt among government troopers, Guzman said, adding that they recovered assorted firearms and explosives left behind by the fleeing rebels, that included an M16 assault with 15 magazines containing ammunition, a rifle, a .45 caliber pistol, a .357 Magnum pistol, four rifle grenades, a hand grenade, five backpacks, three bandoliers, three cellular phones, a solar panel, assorted medicines and medical equipment, subversive documents, and personal belongings.
He said they received persistent reports from the locals of rebel recruitment activities in the mountainous areas of Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental and the adjacent municipality of Ayungon in Negros Oriental.
Brig. Gen. Noel Baluyan, 302nd Infantry Brigade commander, who is now supervising the operational control of the 94IB since Sept. 1, lauded the accomplishment of the troops, and attributed the positive result to the timely information from the locals, and to the decisive and effective leadership of the ground commanders.
Baluyan said the 302nd IB and its subordinate units will continue to conduct relentless combat operations against the NPA in central and southern Negros.*
