Gov’t troops capture 6 communist rebels

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Government troops captured six suspected communist rebels in Sultan Kudarat barely two days after the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF), made a breakthrough in the ongoing peace talks abroad, officials said yesterday.

The military revealed that the captured suspects were preparing a training site for the rebels.

Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Roy Kyamko disclosed here in a statement that troops were conducting clearing operation when they spotted three temporary structures in the area, which turned out to be a training ground of the New People’s Army (NPA) in sitio Bungge, Barangay Datalblao, Columbio town.

Kyamko said troops belonging to the 66th Infantry Battalion monitored the movements of people near the camp and conducted the operation at dawn.

"Taking advantage of darkness the following day the troops swooped down on the site and captured six unidentified armed men," Kyamko said in a statement.

He said the captured suspects were armed with three shotguns and eight fragmentation grenades.

The troops scoured the camp site and found more firearms including an M1 garand, one shotgun, an empty bandoller for M14 and "terrorist documents" from a nearby house owned by a certain Morales Malagon, alias Combra.

The military disclosed that Malagon is a team leader and regular armed member of the communist movement.

During interrogation it was discovered that the six captured suspects were preparing the site for a meeting of the NPA.

Kyamko said the unfinished site, believed to be used as a parade ground of the rebels, is composed of six temporary structures made of blue laminated sacks and fresh banana leaves.