| NPA rebels, troopers clash in Kiblawan town |
| Written by Eldie S. Aguirre and Nilo Mercado | |
| Wednesday, 25 June 2008 | |
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Undetermined number of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels engaged in a ten-minute running gun battle with government troopers in Sitio (sub-village) Atbang, Barangay (village) Kimlawis, Kiblawan town at about 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Although there were no reported casualties to both sides, Corporal Celso Sanchez, detachment commander of the Army’s 72nd Infantry Battalion, said the enemies withdrew from their position, in a spot report to the PNP provincial headquarters in Digos City.
The military said the heavily armed group could be members of the NPAs Front Committee-74 operating in the mountain ranges of Kiblawan. Sitio Atbang is situated 20 kilometers from Kiblawan proper.
Government troopers are currently on a heightened alert over the frequent NPA attacks on remote barangays in the province. The rebels seized firearms and ammunitions of local militiamen during the attacks.
On June 4, B’laan bandits held hostage two Canadian geophysicists and four of their Filipino companions while on their way to an exploration site in Barangay Tacub, Kiblawan.
They were released three hours later following a tedious negotiation between the management of Sagittarius Mines Incorporated (SMI) – a giant mining group exploring gold ores, copper, silver and other minerals within 5,000 hectare mountain ranges along the quadri-boundary of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani Province and Davao del Sur.
Three members of the Cafgu (Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit) were hurt when two landmines exploded along the road when more or less 60 heavily armed NPA rebels attacked Barangay Dungan Pekong, Matanao town on June 5.
Major Lyndon Paniza, 39th Infantry Battalion commander called the series of attacks in remote villages of the province as “acts of desperation” and “complete disregard to human rights of innocent civilians” who were put at risk during those attacks.
Paniza said the rebels are using ‘pressure-detonated’ landmines, which is against the International Law.
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