Dog's bark sparks clash; 3 soldiers killed

MANILA, Philippines - A dog’s bark proved to be fatal for three soldiers who died in an encounter with communist rebels in San Agustin, Surigao del Sur on Tuesday.

Brig. Gen. Ricardo Visaya, officer-in-charge of the Army’s 4th division, said the clash happened at 9:50 a.m. after patrolling soldiers discovered a training camp of the rebels in Sitio Buhisan.

“While they were patrolling, they saw several tents. So apparently, they (insurgents) had a dog. The dog barked and the firefight started,” Visaya said in an interview.

Three soldiers died during the clash after hitting a landmine planted by the insurgents. The identities of the fatalities were withheld pending notification of their families.

The clash lasted for about 30 minutes and resulted in the capture of the New People’s Army (NPA) training camp.

“We were able to occupy (the training camp). The rebels scampered so we inserted additional troops to track them down,” Visaya said.

Last month, eight members of the police Special Action Force were killed and seven others were wounded in a landmine attack staged by the NPA in Cagayan.  

The government has condemned the attack, saying it violates the international treaties banning landmines. The rebels, however, claimed that the use of command-detonated land mines is allowed by international law.