(Eagle News) – Six soldiers from the Philippine Army’s 14th infantry Battalion were killed while 20 others were wounded in an ambush by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels who used improvised explosives in Borongan City, Eastern Samar.
The ambush happened late Monday afternoon, Nov. 11, when the NPA rebels detonated six explosives in a remote village called Pinanag-an.
The Philippine soldiers from the three platoons of the Army’s 14th IB suffered heavy casualties following the simultaneous explosions.
“They used IEDs (improvised explosive devices), leading to a large number of casualties,” regional military spokesman Captain Reynaldo Aragones told Agence France Presse, adding one rebel was also killed.
Some 50 NPA rebels then fought with the government troopers in a 30-minute gun battle around 5 p.m., on Monday, based on initial reports reaching the Philippine National Police regional office.
The soldiers who were killed were Sgt. Rex Jadulco, Cpl. Ronald Go, Cpl. Limar Banug, Pfc. Kent Loyd Agullo, Pvt. Charlie Del Rosario, and Pfc. Junmar Buranday.
A communist terrorist was also killed during the armed encounter.
The 20 injured soldiers were airlifted to Camp Lukban station hospital in Catbalogan City, Samar inside the headquarters of the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division.
Pinanag-an village is about 22 kilometers upland from Borongan City. The site is very remote with an air distance of 12 kilometers from upland Canloterio village, the nearest point accessible to vehicles.
The military is still conducting clearing and retrieval operations as of Tuesday morning.
The military has repeatedly condemned the NPA for using landmines in their attacks, showing disrespect to basic human rights. The terrorist attack also disregards the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.
(with reports from Agence France Presse, PNA)
