Stormtroopers recover
firearms in consecutive Northern Samar clashes
By
DPAO, 8ID PA
December 13, 2025
CAMP LUKBAN, Catbalogan
City – The 8th Infantry (Stormtroopers) Division engaged in
successive firefights against fleeing Communist-NPA-Terrorist (CNT)
elements in the hinterlands of Barangay Osmeńa, Palapag, Northern
Samar, on December 11, 2025, successfully recovering two firearms.
The operations are part of
ongoing efforts to locate CNT members who escaped after the November
29 clash in Barangay Nipa, Palapag. Before these encounters, the
armed group had threatened civilians by planting IHL-banned
anti-personnel mines along farm-to-market roads frequently used by
local residents.
The first encounter took
place at 11:00 a.m. when troops engaged armed CNTs. A brief but
intense gunfight ensued, forcing the CNTs to retreat northwest and
leaving behind an M653 rifle and personal belongings.
Just 13 minutes later, at
11:13 a.m., troops engaged fleeing CNTs once again, recovering a .45
caliber pistol and ammunition.
The success of these
operations relied on the essential support of the local community;
their cooperation has been vital in tracking and neutralizing
threats. The remaining CNT members who choose to surrender are
assured of humane treatment and full support through government
reintegration programs that help rebuild their lives and allow them
to return to the community with dignity.
