BACOLOD CITY -- A New People’s Army (NPA) rebel was killed in an encounter with the Army 94th Infantry Battalion (IB) in Sitio Maliko-liko, Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental on Monday, Jan. 9.

The Army has yet to identify the slain rebel.

Col. Michael Samson, acting commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde), said suspected NPA rebels were harboring in a forested area in the barangay when the clash occurred at around 6:30 a.m.

Samson said soldiers encountered at least 10 unidentified armed men. The firefight lasted for about five minutes, with no injuries reported on the government side, he added.

According to a report from the 303rd IBde, the military responded to a report regarding the presence of unidentified armed men believed to be members of the Central Negros 2-Komiteng Rehiyon Negros Cebu Bohol Siquijor (CN2-KR-NCBS) allegedly conducting extortion activity in the area.

Recovered from the encounter site were an M14 rifle, an M4 rifle, an M79 grenade launcher, two M16 rifle, a rifle grenade, seven M14 rifle magazines and ammunition, an M4 rifle magazine and ammunition, four grenade launcher ammunition, two bandoliers, a backpack, an NPA flag, and subversive documents.

Samson said this is the first encounter reported in the province this year.

He said that “this is a clear indication that the NPAs are losing its support to the masses.”

Last year, the 94th IB and the 62nd IB were involved in a series of clashes in Barangay Carabalan which resulted in the death of an NPA leader and two other communist guerrillas.

Two soldiers were killed while six others were wounded in the series of clashes in the barangay in October that displaced thousands of residents, including those in nearby barangays.