BACOLOD City – Four soldiers were wounded in an ambush staged by suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the hinterland boundaries of Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental and Isabela town in Negros Occidental.
A report from the Philippine Army identified one of the injured as 2nd Lieutenant Niel Christian Cureg, who led the troops of the 94th Infantry Battalion (94IB). They were onboard a military truck along the road in Barangay Luz, Guihulngan when the rebels set off an improvised explosive device (IED).
Cureg and his three men, Sergeants Ronald Sabay and Gelmart Alegroso and Private 1st class Joven Ticzon are now in stable condition after they were brought to a nearby hospital.
After the blast, they engaged about five communist terrorist rebels in a 10-minute firefight after which the latter withdrew towards Barangay Banog-banog, Isabela.
Lieutenant Colonel Egberto Dacoscos, commanding officer of 62nd Infantry Battalion, said the attack was a desperate attempt of the NPA’s Leonardo Panaligan Command to get the support of the masses.
“Their continuous use of IEDs clearly violates the Ottawa Treaty and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law,” he added.
In Guihulngan, barangays Luz and Linantuyan have already declared the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) as persona non-grata.
During the clearing operation in Barangay Luz, government troops recovered 23 rounds of 7.62mm ball attached to M60mm link, 67 rounds of empty 5.56mm ball, 150 meters of electric wire, six dry-cell batteries, three Molotov cocktails, and a backpack.
The ambush came four days after two members of the NPA hit squad were killed in a clash with 62IB troops Barangay Binobohan, Guihulngan. (With a PNA/PN)
