REAL, Quezon - The military recovered a New People's Army (NPA) arms stash after an encounter in Barangay Tanauan, here on Wednesday April 16.
The Army 2nd Infantry Division said these were an M16 rifle, 14 long magazines, a hand grenade, two rounds of 40mm live ammunition, an ICOM radio, five backpacks, two bandoliers, personal belongings, and subversive documents.
The 202nd Infantry Brigade disclosed that troops from the 80th Infantry Battalion were conducting routine security operations when they engaged the NPA in a 20-minute firefight.
No casualties were reported from the government side while those from the NPA are still being verified due to the presence of bloodstains at the encounter site.
"We remain committed to sustaining the momentum of eradicating the insurgency
problem in the region," Army Major Gen. Cerilo Balaoro Jr., 2nd ID commander, said.
"We will ensure that the remaining few NPA wandering the area are neutralized for our people to ultimately re-experience the peace that we've been cherishing before the existence of these terrorists," Balaoro added.
Balaoro urged remaining NPA to avail themselves of the government's Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) to enable them to live a new life with their loved ones.
The 2nd ID is on heightened alert as follow-up operations are being conducted to pursue the fleeing NPA.