Army overruns rebel camp in Isabela
CAMP MELCHOR F. DELA CRUZ, UPI, GAMU, Isabela – Army troops belonging to the 5th Infantry Divison overran an abandoned camp of the New People’s Army (NPA) after a two-hour gunbattle that led to the death of three rebels in a remote mountain village here the other day.
According to Maj. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang, his men from the 52nd Division Reconnaissance Company (DRC), were conducting combat operations early Sunday morning in Sitio Lumalog, Barangay Cadsalan in San Mariano town when they came across the camp, which was allegedly being used by the rebels as a staging point for its various armed activities.
The two-hour firefight started at around
The camp has 20 bunkers capable of housing 60 rebels, a kitchen, a classroom-cum-mess hall, latrine and three guard posts. The troops recovered a rifle, five hand grenades, high-explosives detonating cords, electrical wire and materials, medical and dental paraphernalia, 10 jungle packs and four sacks of other personal belongings and documents.
The three rebel fatalities were taken by the troops to the nearest mortuary in town.
On the same day, two NPA rebels were slain in a firefight with another infantry unit near the town of
Maclang later commended his men for a job well done, praising the informants as well for their “selfless concern and courage.”
Maclang said military intelligence had shown that rebel strength was on a downturn from around 1,000 in 1999 to around 450 last year. – With AFP
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