14th Infantry Battalion encounters NPA, recovers high powered firearm

By DPAO, 8ID PA
July 31, 2013

CAMP LUKBAN, Catbalogan City, Samar – Combat troops of the 14th Infantry (Avenger) Battalion encountered a band of New People’s Army operating in Eastern Samar after receiving information from a concerned citizen that armed NPAs were seen at the vicinity of Barangay Tangbo, Arteche, Eastern Samar.

The report was confirmed that the NPAs lurking around Brgy Tangbo were the same NPA group encountered by 81st Division Reconnaissance Company on July 26, 2013 at Barangay San Pascual Dolores, Eastern Samar. The said band of NPA were on the run as troops were sent out to pursue them, until they arrived in Barangay Tangbo where troops under 14IB caught up with them and engaged them in a 10-minute encounter.

After the NPAs fled, the troops recovered one (1) M16 Armalite rifle, NPA documents and personal belongings. The fleeing NPAs suffered casualties as indicated by bloodstains in their vacated positions.

Earlier, NPAs also suffered great losses when troops under 34th Infantry Battalion engaged them in a 45-minute encounter last July 27, 2013 in Brgy Rombang, Laoang, Northern Samar. In the said incident, one (1) NPA was killed and troops recovered two (2) M16 Armalite rifles.

Cpt Amado C Gutierrez, spokesperson of the 8th Infantry Division said: “The successive encounters in the past few days were results of reports coming from the people themselves who are tired of NPA intrusion in their communities, where they conduct extortion as well as threaten and harm those who do not yield to their whims and caprices.”