BACOLOD CITY – One soldier was wounded in an encounter with the New People’s Army in Barangay Tamlang, Toboso, Negros Occidental on Monday, June 1.
First Lt. Fevie Fajardo, 79th Infantry Battalion civil-military operations officer, said the gun battle against five remnants of the dismantled Northern Negros Front (NNF-D) erupted at 2:10 p.m. while soldiers were conducting monitoring in response to reported shooting incidents in the town linked to the group.
Fajardo said there were no displaced residents as the encounter site is far from residential area. Pursuit operations are ongoing against fleeing rebels.
The encounter happened a month after the 79th IB clashed with remnants of NNF-D in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso on April 19.
Nineteen persons were killed.
Soldiers were pursuing the group of notorious NPA hitman Roger Fabillar Tapang, who was linked by the Philippine Army to series of liquidations targeting civilians, farmers, and barangay officials for being alleged military assets in northern Negros Occidental, particularly Calatrava, Escalante City, and Toboso, since 2023.