NPA rebel slain while crossing Aurora

BALER, Aurora, Philippines – Government operatives from the Army’s 48th Infantry Battalion shot dead a communist New People’s Army rebel following an encounter in San Luis, Aurora Friday afternoon, the military reported yesterday . 

Lt. Col. Elias Escarcha, 48th IB battalion commander, said the encounter was sprung at around 2:30 p.m. Friday when the government troops chanced upon the rebels in Sitio Alasanay, Barangay Dimanayat, San Luis.

The rebels fired at the soldiers who were responding to a civilian who reported that some unidentified armed men believed to be NPA rebels were sowing terror in Dimanayat.

The still unidentified rebel was killed on-the-spot in the exchange of gunfire that ensued. No casualty was reported on the government side.

Escarcha said that the rebels may have come from an adjacent province who tried to penetrate Aurora to discredit the military’s claim that the province is now insurgency-free. He said this was borne by the fact that the slain rebel could not be positively identified by residents of the village. 

“Clearly, this is an attempt to disprove the fact that Aurora is becoming insurgency-free owing to the successful campaign we have launched against them,” he said.

Escarcha said that the campaign against insurgency in the province continues to gain ground because of the support of villagers who provide the military the needed background information. “The people have rallied behind the soldiers and the citizens of San Luis have been very cooperative,” he said.

Recovered from the slain rebel were one M-16 rifle, one bandolier with two long magazines, several rounds of ammunition and assorted personal belongings.