-
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/26 August) — Five members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were reported killed in an firefight with government troops in Sitio Mangani, Barangay Tapak in Paquibato District at 5:45a.m. Sunday, the military reported.
Major Jacob Thaddeus Obligado, chief of the 10th Civil Miltiary Operations Battalion, said the NPA rebels attacked a detachment of the combined troops of the 69th Infantry Battalion and Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu).
The firefight left five NPA rebels dead, claimed Obligado .
But government troops were able to recover only two bodies after the clash that lasted for an hour and 30 minutes.
Three Cafgu members were also wounded in the firefight, he said.
Injured militiamen are being treated at a military hospital, he said.
The military official also claimed that “the NPAs used civilians as shield to gain entry to the detachment.”
Paquibato District is a known operational territory of Leoncio Pitao, also known as Commander Parago, head of the 1st Pulang Bagani Command. (Keith Bacongco/MindaNews)
