4 soldiers hurt in Misamis clash

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – Four soldiers were wounded in an encounter with suspected New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas in Salay town in Misamis Oriental on Monday.

Captain Christian Uy, spokesman for the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division based in Cagayan de Oro City, corrected earlier reports that a soldier was killed while six others were wounded in the clash in Barangay Banglay.

Uy said the latest report they received from the encounter site lists only four wounded soldiers. He said a military pursuit operation against the rebels was ongoing as of yesterday.     

“An MG-520 attack helicopter from Butuan City joined the firefight on Monday,” he said.

The first encounter, which occurred at around 9 a.m., lasted 30 minutes. Pursuing troops found bloodstains along the rebels’ escape route, where another firefight took place at around 2 p.m.

“We believe there are wounded rebels, and possibly dead, because of the bloodstains on their trail,” Uy said.

He said the rebels, around 10 of them, could be part of a larger group that attacked a village in Balingasag town, which killed a soldier and four government miltiamen over a week ago.

In another incident, two NPA rebels were killed in a clash with government forces in Malaybalay City on Sunday, the military said yesterday.