BUTUAN CITY, Philippines – A member of a tribal group was killed while an undetermined number of other New People’s Army rebels were either killed or wounded when they engaged in a fierce firefight Sunday afternoon at Sitio Daldalikan Creek, Barangay Kinamaybay in Esperanza town, Agusan del Sur province.

Initial report received at Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) regional headquarters here, identified the slain tribesman as a certain Tata Hulasan.

A field report coming from Agusan del Sur Provincial Police Office (PPO) and Esperanza Municipal Police Station (MPS) stated that the group of a certain “Datu Bawang” were on their way to their farmlands when they encountered members of the communist-Front Committee 88 of the CPP-NPA Northeastern Mindanao regional Party Committee (NEMRC).

The gunbattle started at around 2 0’clock in the afternoon.

Field reports also bared that the fire fight lasted for almost 15 minutes before the rebels withdrew to a nearby forested mountain of Semuntana and Calabuan.

Further,  an undetermined number of rebels were also believed severely hit during the firefight.

A hot pursuit operation against the fleeing rebels is still ongoing as of press time.

Brig. Gen. Emiliano Gupana, commanding general of the Army’s 402nd Infantry (Stingers) Brigade and Chief Supt. Reynaldo Rafal, regional director of PRO 13 already dispatched their respective field units to beef up the forces in the battle area.

On the other hand, elements of Esperanza MPS also conducted check points along the possible escape route of the fleeing rebels.