ILOILO CITY — At least eight New People’s Army (NPA) rebels are believed to be dead after clashing with government forces in a far-flung village of Miag-ao town, Iloilo province Wednesday, December 1.
“There may be more casualties. But there may be more as follow-up operations are still ongoing,” said Lt. Elma Grace Abulencia, deputy spokesperson of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID).
Army units were thwarting an alleged attack at a military patrol base in Sitio Burak of Alimodias village early Wednesday morning.
“Our troops responded,” Abulencia told Manila Bulletin in a phone interview.
But unlike in previous counter-attacks, air assets were used.
Abulencia confirmed that Philippine Air Force (PAF) joined in to track down the approximately 70 NPA rebels in the area.
There was also a field-artillery group as well as different units of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) to provide support to the army.
Based on intelligence reports, the NPA rebels were under NPA’s Southern Front Committee in Panay Island.
The NPA rebels were preparing to stage a major attack as part of the commemoration leading to the 53rd anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).