Sunday, May 29, 2011

2 army men wounded in NPA clash in Davao province


DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 29, 2011) – Two government soldiers were wounded in clash with communist rebels in the southern Philippines, officials said on Sunday.

Officials said the fighting erupted in the village called Cabasagan in Davao Oriental’s Boston town on Saturday afternoon. The soldiers were patrolling when New People’s Army rebels attacked them, said Lieutenant Colonel Lyndon Paniza, a spokesman for the 10th Infantry Division.

“The army patrol was responding to reports by civilians to the presence of New People’s Army bandits in the area when our soldiers were attacked,” he said.

He said the attackers were also behind the killings of civilians – Rosalinda Clata, 55, and Memilyn Moreno, 13, earlier this year. He did not give further details about the twin murders, but claimed rebels were harassing and extorting money from villagers and traders in the town.

The fighting lasted about half an hour and there were no reports of casualties on the rebel side. The NPA has been fighting for decades for the establishment of a separate state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)

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