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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/5 July) – Communist rebels attacked a mining camp in Agusan del Sur province dawn today and kidnapped three persons, including the son of the owner of a mining company, sketchy military reports said.
Maj. Eugene Osias, spokesperson of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, said some 30 New People’s Army rebels attacked the mining camp of VTO Company in the Ridge Mountain in Purok 11, Barangay Bayugan 3 in Rosario town around 5 a.m.
Osias said the rebels ransacked the office of the mining firm and carted away some money, computers and unspecified number of firearms. The rebels also disarmed the company security guards, he added.
When the rebels fled, Osias said they took a certain Dodo Ocipe, 27, son of Engr.
Vivencio T. Ocipe, the owner of the mining company. The rebels also took two company workers with them.
It was not known if the younger Ocipe is also an employee of the company.
Osias said the rebels told the rest of the workers that they demand a ransom of a K3 Squad Automatic Weapon, a machinegun made in Korea, and M16 rifles for the safe release of the hostages.
The military said troopers from the Army 75th Infantry Battalion have taken pursuit against the fleeing rebels. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)