Army thwarts NPA attack in Samar

Army troopers thwarted an attack by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels on military and police detachments in Basey town in Samar the other day, reports said.

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres said members of the Scout Platoon and Support Service Company of the 62nd Infantry Battalion encountered some 50 heavily armed NPAs under a certain Gilay in Barangay Baloog in the said town.

Torres said the soldiers acted on information that the rebel group was planning to conduct tactical offensives in the area, targeting military and police outposts.

A soldier identified as Pfc. Ranilo Baco was slightly wounded while the rebels reportedly suffered undetermined number of casualties.

Additional forces were deployed to reinforce the pursuing troops.

Last Wednesday, suspected Communist rebels swooped down on a mining operation in Camarines Norte owned by an Australian firm.

The group burned heavy equipment and carted away several vehicles and firearms.

Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, spokesman of the military’s Southern Luzon Command, said about 40 NPA rebels armed with two M-60 light machine guns and assorted high powered firearms swooped down on the compound of El Dore Mining Corp. in Barangay Dumagmang, Labo, Camarines Norte and burned two units of heavy equipment and three company owned vehicles.

The rebels also carted away office equipment, cellular phones and a still undetermined number of firearms.

The rebels fled towards Barangay Malaya in Labo town.

Cabangbang said the rebels attacked the company when it failed to heed their demands for extortion money.