BACOLOD CITY – Soldiers discovered a New People’s Army camp following an encounter in Barangay Damutan, Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental on Sunday morning, Nov. 24.
Brig. Gen. Joey Escanillas, commander of the Army 302nd Infantry Brigade (IBde), said troops engaged the fleeing remnants of the dismantled Southwest Front, Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros Cebu Bohol Siquijor while they were conducting patrol operations.
Escanillas said they deployed close air support due to the difficult terrain but no civilians were displaced in the encounter.
Soldiers cleared the area and found the encampment that can accommodate 15 to 20 individuals and has a kitchen, hammocks, and other structures.
The camp was found following a series of encounters that started on Nov. 21 in Barangay Gatuslao, Candoni, Negros Occidental, where six communist rebels were killed.
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2024/11/21/6-npa-rebels-killed-in-negros-occidental-clash-1
Pursuing troops engaged fleeing NPA fighters later on that day and another rebel was killed, bringing the number of fatalities to seven.
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2024/11/22/death-toll-in-negros-occidental-encounter-rises-to-7
The eighth NPA fatality was neutralized on Friday in the area.
Escanillas said that no casualties were reported on both sides on Sunday.