Mike U. Crismundo
TANDAG CITY — The area command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday ordered an all-out offensive against communist insurgents as field unit commanders challenged human right advocates, church, and other concerned non-government organizations to come out in the open and condemn the continuous use of land mines by New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas in Surigao del Sur province.
"The use of land mines by communist insurgents against our peace-keeping force and some innocent civilians is a big violation of the international law, and this must be condemned at the highest level," said Maj. Rodrigo O. Sosmena, chief information officer of the AFP’s Eastern Mindanao Command.
Sosmena said land mines planted by the NPA rebels had inflicted casualties on civilians, including peace-keeping soldiers in Diatagon area, Lianga town, in Surigao del Sur.
"Why are they (human rights group, church) mum about the rights of our soldiers and families who lost their lives and limbs in trying to put a stop to this Godless act?" asked Sosmena.
He further asked: "Why don’t they (human rights group) condemn the CPP-NPA-NDF who are behind all these atrocities and using land mines?"
Sosmena added the series of fierce gun battles the past three days proves the NPA’s continuous use of land mines as operating government troops seized several planted claymore mines, anti-personnel and anti-tank mines along the barangay roads in Diatagon area, in Lianga town.
A communist insurgent and a government soldier were killed while 17 government combat soldiers were wounded, 12 of them slightly including a military officer when a fierce gun battle erupted in a forested and mountainous Diatagon area since Thursday, a report of Maj. Gen. Jose T. Barbieto, area command chief of the Army’s Northeastern and Northern Mindanao Fourth Infantry (Diamond) Division said. (PNA)
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