By Francis Wakefield
A suspected Communist New People's Army (NPA) member was killed in an encounter with government troops in Masbate on Sunday.
(Jun Ryan Arañas / MANILA BULLETIN)
Capt. Joash Pramis, spokesman of Army"s Ninth Infantry Division (9th ID), said the firefight happened in Barangay San Antonio, Milagros, Masbate, at about 6:30 a.m.
Pramis said troops of the Second Infantry Battalion and the Milagros Municipal Station (MPS) were on patrol when they encountered more or less 10 NPA rebels.
He said a rebel was killed base on a body count, while there was no casualty on the government side.
Government troops were able to retrieve from the scene an M-14 rifle, one M653 rifle, two improvise explosive device (IEDs) and subversive documents.
Pursuit operations are being conducted on the NPAs who fled to a still unknown direction.