Army overruns NPA camp in Cagayan de Oro City

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – Army soldiers from the 65th Infantry Battalion overran on July 30 a New People’s Army camp in Barangay Pigsag-an, just 30 minutes away from the city’s booming uptown district. One soldier was wounded.

The rebel camp in Barangay Pigsag-an is the first known NPA camp in the city in recent history.

The 65th IB troops engaged at least 20 NPA rebels and seized their hideout, located in an uninhabited area in the village.

The firefight took place on July 30, when troops led by 1st Lieutenant Rolito V. Tecson Jr conducted a military operation in the forested area of Pigsag-an, after citizens reported the presence of armed men doing extortion and teach-in activities.

Reports from the 65th IB and the 4th Infantry Division’s Division Public Affairs Office (DPAO), released on August 3, showed one army soldier was wounded in action while the DPAO said there may have been rebels killed or wounded as blood stains were found around the position of the NPA. 

The wounded soldier was immediately evacuated to Camp Evangelista Station Hospital and was reported to be in stable condition.

Troopers recovered an unexploded 10-kilogram improvised anti-personnel mine, which is prohibited under the United Nations Ottawa Treaty.  

The soldiers also recovered expended ammunition for M16, M14, and AK47 rifles, as well as some personal belongings.

65th Infantry Battalion Commanding officer Lt. Col. Benjamin B. Pajarito Jr said his troops will intensify their drive against the guerrillas.

Intense military operations in Bukidnon’s Kitanglad-Kalatungan Mountain ranges may have forced the NPA to seek new ground here.

This city’s mountain barangays in the West share border with Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Iligan City, and Lanao del Sur. – Rappler.com