CAMP GENERAL NAKAR, Lucena City – Government troops recovered a landmine during their armed encounter with the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) terrorist group at 8:35 a.m. on Wednesday in Barangay Pinamihagan, Lagonoy in Camarines Sur.
Report reaching the military headquarters here, Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) public information officer First Lieutenant Felise Vida P. Solano said Wednesday that troops of the 93rd Division Reconnaissance Company under the 9th Infantry Division engaged the terrorist group in a 15-minute firefight.
Solano said there were no casualties from the government troops while several armed comrades of the terrorist group were wounded fleeing the battle site as the pursuit operations continue.
Government forces discovered the land mine and recovered the state enemies’ personal belongings, communication equipment, medical supplies, and documents with high intelligence value.
In a statement, Lieutenant General Danilo Pamonag, SOLCOM Commande, condemned the communist terrorist group’s continued use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in violation of the International Humanitarian Law.
Pamonag has referred to the international convention where the Philippines is one of the signatories of the Geneva Convention and the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.
This convention sets the Protocol II that prohibits and restricts the Use of Mines, Booby Traps and Other Devices.
SOLCOM also pointed out that in accordance with the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CAHRIHL) signed by both the Philippine government and the CPP-NPA-NDF in 1998, landmines and IEDs are banned from use by both parties.
Wednesday’s armed encounter is the third consecutive clashes by the government troops with the CPP-NPA terrorist group in Camarines Sur where four rebels were killed, five were captured, two of them wounded in the skirmishes since Monday and the military’s discovery of the enemies’ use of land mine. (PNA)
