The fighting on Sunday occurred after Army troops who were patrolling the area around Balbalan town encountered about 20 New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas, military spokesman Lt. Col Buenaventura Pascual said in a statement.
The encounter in Barangay Balantoy, Balbalan town at around 5 a.m., also resulted in the wounding of three other Army men.
On the rebel side, the military said insurgents suffered heavy casualties, according to reports reaching Camp Aguinaldo yesterday.
Pascual, identified the slain soldiers as 2Lt. Eric Bulatao, Sgt. Romeo Paloran and Pfc. Joseph Gallamoy Jr.
Meanwhile, Cpl. Jerry Ballad, Pfc. Cleofard Banatao and Pfc. Armold Gambao were wounded and airlifted to a nearby military station hospital.
Reports showed that elements of the Charlie Company of the 21st Infantry Battalion, led by 2Lt. Bulatao, were dispatched to Barangay Balantoy to verify the reported presence of heavily armed men when fired upon by the rebels.
An intense firefight ensued afterwhich the rebels withdrew in smaller groups to evade reinforcements from the 49th Scout Ranger Company, Pascual said.
The encounter occurred only several days after Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz Jr. announced that the defense and military establishment intend to rid the country of insurgents and other forms of internal security threats in six to 10 years. — With AP, AFP