Six soldiers were killed and another 20 were wounded in a clash with suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the village of Pinanag-an in Eastern Samar province’s Borongan City yesterday afternoon.
Members of the Philippine Army’s 14th Infantry Battalion engaged in a shootout at 5pm with at least 50 suspected NPA fighters for about 30 minutes, GMA News reports. Prior to the gunfight, six improvised explosive devices detonated in the area.
Read: [UPDATED] Panelo says Duterte to take three-day leave, immediately does about-face
The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
One of the militants was killed the in yesterday’s firefight, while an uncertain number were wounded, according to CNN Philippines. The army has yet to identify the killed fighter.
The NPA has been waging an insurgency against the government since 1969. It operates in rural areas and extorts money from local businesses to fund its communist movement. President Rodrigo Duterte’s government previously engaged the CPP in peace talks, but they was permanently terminated in March.
The CPP’s founder, Jose Maria Sison, proved that there’s no love lost between him and Duterte after the former said on Monday that the president should just resign due to his alleged health problems.
Duterte was supposed to go on leave for three days this week, but his spokesman Salvador Panelo said he would work from his house in Davao City instead.
The soldiers killed in yesterday’s clash were identified as Rex Jadulco, Ronald Go, Limar Banug, Kent Loyd Agullo, Charlie Del Rosario, and Junmar Buranday, the Manila Bulletin reports.
The following soldiers were wounded:
- Kenneth John Arcina
- Cyril Baja
- Rando Soria
- Albert Abegonia
- Denmark Gonsaza
- Dandreb Gaelon
- Riel Bilason
- Gilbert Renegado
- Rex Batis Jr.
- Jerwin Omrab
- Darwin Aborquez
- Joshua Pacuan
- Roger Moore Ditche
- Marlon Orsal
- Dominador Antonio Jr.
- Aljon Aguillos
- Linlito Donayre
- Mark Geric De Leon
- Rene Abuda
- Jayson Beros
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