NPAs continue rampage in Compostela; 2 Army soldiers hurt in landmine blast

DAVAO CITY – There seems to be no let-up in the continuing rampage of the New People’s Army in Southern Mindanao, particularly in the Compostela Valley and its neighboring provinces, considered to be the strongholds of the communist movement in this part of the country.

This, as two Army soldiers were wounded Sunday morning in a landmine explosion in Barangay New Leyte, Maco, Compostela Valley.

According to Maj. Armando Rico, spokesperson of the Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command based here in Davao City, Private First Class Naser Usman and Private Glenn Durias were wounded when a pressure-release landmine exploded. Usman suffered slight wounds on his left and right thighs while Durias sustained injury on his right arm.

The pressure-release landmine was reportedly among the ones planted by the communist guerrillas as part of their intensified offensive against government troops in the area.

A pressure-release landmine can be triggered by a lot of things, including pressure, movement, sound, or magnetism. A person’s foot is commonly used as trigger for anti-personnel landmines, although tripwires are also being commonly used.

The landmine explosion in Maco actually was the latest in the spate of offensives the NPA rebels have launched against military and police installations in the area resulting to the killing and wounding of several government forces.

The rebels were also able to cart away hundreds of firearms from different Army and police armories in the region as well as from jail facilities including the Davao Penal Colony.

Rico said the same team of soldiers that Usman and Durias belonged to also encountered at least 20 at Barangay Paloc, in the nearby town of Maragusan at around 2 p.m. late Sunday afternoon.

Rico said a firefight ensued and lasted for 20 minutes between government forces and the rebels believed to be led by a certain Commander Melvin of the NPA’s Southern Mindanao Regional Command (SMRC).