AGUSAN DEL SUR, Philippines — Utilizing the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) helicopter wing, the command center of the Army’s 402nd Infantry (Stingers) Brigade (402nd IB) inserted more combat maneuvering troops in the war zone in an effort to encircle the communist-New People’s Army (NPA) now holding their position within the mountainous and forested areas of Kauswagan and Binocayan, both of Loreto town, Agusan del Sur province.

At least two Huey gunship helicopters made their several sorties in inserting combat troops from the 402nd IB and 4th Division DRC while two MG-520 attack helicopters also extended air cover to the deployed ground troops.

Currently, elements of 26th Infantry Battallion are pursuing the running NPA rebels in the area, who attempted to attack the municipal police stations of Veruela and Loreto on Sunday or Monday, both located in the municipal boundary of Compostela Valley (ComVal) and Davao del Norte.

Col. Rodrigo T. Diapana, commanding officer of the Army’s 402nd Infantry (Stingers) Brigade said the objective of the deployed combat troops is to crush the running guerilla-Front Committees 33 and 34 of the CPP-NPA Southern Mindanao Regional Party Committee (SMRC).

“The red fighters of front committees 33 and 44 had their own separate mission, and they supposed to attack the towns of Veruela and Loreto. However we aborted their plan to attack these towns,” he said.

“The attack of Trento last Saturday was a separate mission by other guerilla committees of the communist movement,” said Col. Diapana.

The Brigade commander also deployed war earth-moving equipments here to extend more fire power to the operating troops now currently pursuing close to 100 NPA guerillas in Binocayan and Kauswagan areas.

Maj. Gen. Victor A. Felix, commanding general of the Army’s Fourth Infantry (Diamond) Division on Monday ordered Col. Diapana to use all his combat maneuvering troops in putting an end to the alleged atrocities and extortion activ-ities of the NPA’s in Agusan del Sur and neighboring provinces.

Since Sunday morning fierce gunbattle in Binocayan area, various reports coming from mountain village folks that reaches the command center of 402nd IB stated that the NPAs already suffered some 20 fatalities and 17 other rebels were critically wounded.