LA TRINIDAD, Benguet , Philippines – Policemen backed by Army troopers overran a rebel camp in Barangay Aguid, Sagada town in Mt. Province on Friday night following a firefight that left two police officers wounded.
The camp was reportedly well equipped and used by the rebels as training ground before launching attacks against government forces, according to Cordillera police director Chief Superintendent Benjamin Magalong.
During the initial assault, Police Officers 1 Primo Marcelo and Romel Sagot were wounded. They were taken to the Baguio City Medical Center for treatment.
On Friday morning, an air strike was launched by the military supposedly to stop enemy fire and destroy improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted around the camp.
Authorities reportedly found subversive documents, medical kits and IEDs inside the camp.
The militant Cordillera People’s Alliance (CPA), tagged by authorities as a supporter of the communist movement, said the air strike and ground military operations affected the communities in Sagada and Bontoc towns.
Igorot leader Abigail Anongos of the CPA said the attack destroyed farms, hunting grounds and water resources close to rice fields and residential communities.
The Mt. Province-based Leonardo Pacsi Command of the Communist Party of the Philippines has not released any statement on the incident.