BACOLOD CITY – Some residents in two barangays in the cities of Kabankalan and Himamaylan in Negros Occidental were evacuated following a clash between the New People’s Army rebels and the government troops.

DISPLACED residents in an evacuation center in Barangay Hilamonan, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, following a clash between the military troops and the NPA rebels in Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City on Wednesday, May 3. (Photo courtesy of Bulig Ni Mayor Benjie Miranda of Kabankalan City via Facebook)

A report from the local government of Kabankalan said that about 86 families were evacuated from Sitios Paloypoy, Cotcot, Tapian, and Cabangahan in Barangay Hilamonan. Lt. Col. Van Almonte, commander of the Army 94th Infantry Battalion (IB), said the firefight happened at the boundaries of the two cities, resulting in the death of an NPA rebel and wounding of two soldiers and a female civilian in Sitio Ulo-Tuburan, Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City on Wednesday, May 3. Almonte said the evacuees returned to their respective homes after the areas were cleared the following day. According to the 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde), the 94th IB encountered at least 15 members of Central Negros 2, Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor (KR-NCBS) as they responded to reports on the presence of an armed group in the two barangays. The firefight lasted for about 20 minutes. Almonte said the slain NPA rebel has yet to be identified while the two wounded soldiers are now stable. He said that a civilian was hit by a stray bullet and is confined in a hospital. The military recovered an M653 5.56mm rifle, a short M16 magazine, six rounds 5.56 ammunition, an M14 magazine, three rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, seven rounds of caliber .38 ammunition, four rounds of 12-gauge shotgun ammunition, subversive documents, and other valuables in the encounter site.