By MIKE U. CRISMUNDO
MONKAYO, Compostela Valley — New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas launched a series of attacks on an Army command post (CP) and detachments but failed to overrun their targets in three areas in Barangay Banlag, this town over the weekend, a regional Army spokesman reported yesterday.
Reports reaching the operation center of the Army’s Northern, Northeastern and Southern Mindanao Fourth Infantry (Diamond) Division stated that the villagers saw three NPA rebels killed and several others seriously wounded and carried by their comrades-in-arms in the Mt. Diwata ranges, this province.
This developed as troops of the 404th Infantry Brigade led by Col. Antonio Amodia launched counter attacks on the retreating rebel forces.
Lt. Col. Francisco I. Simbajon, regional Army spokesman, said the initial attack by communist insurgents occurred in a patrol base of the 28th Infantry Battallion in Barangay Casoon at 5 in the morning, followed by an attack on a patrol base of the same unit at Kilometer 12 at 6 a.m., and at 8 a.m. of the same day, the command post of Alpha company in Barangay Banlag, all of Monkayo.
The 28th IB is under the command of Lt. Col. Bienvinido Datuin Jr. who is currently the maneuvering ground commander in Banlag and nearby areas.
The communist guerrillas the three areas are members of Front Committee 3 of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC) under a certain "Commander Alex," Simbajon said.
The number of the armed regulars of Front Committee 3, SMRC, is estimated to more than 50.
"Our troops gallantly foiled the three attacks and our brave soldiers inflicted casualties on the enemy side as indicated bloodstains at the enemy position and the route of withdrawal," Simbajon said.
He also said that the rebels were believed to be the same group of men who raided and disarmed the blue guards of Dizon banana plantation last week.
"They raided this agricultural firm due to its refusal to give revolutionary taxes to the underground movement,"he added.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Cardozo M. Luna, area command chief of the Armys Northern, Northeastern and Southern Mindanao Fourth Infantry (Diamond) Division, alerted esterday the wing commanders of the Philippine Air Forces (PAF) 15th Strike Wing and 205th Helicopter Wing to provide possible air cover for the troops pursuing the rebles in the Mt. Diwata ranges.
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