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BAGUIO CITY: Six New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were killed while
five government forces were wounded after a fierce gun battle that
lasted for almost eight hours between the rebels and military in
Sallapadan, Abra on June 7, the military reported Tuesday.
The report released by the military’s North
Luzon Command revealed that elements of the Army’s 5th Infantry
Division with the help of paramilitia men engaged with around 60
rebels allegedly trying to occupy Barangay Gangal in Sallapadan.
The military reported that among those killed
were two ranking NPA rebels including a prominent leader but the
higher command of the Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee of the
mainstream NPA has yet to confirm the claim of the military.
The fierce gun battle between the military and
NPA reported started at about 5 a.m. when rebels allegedly started
to harass a detachment in the said barangay.
“They [rebels] tried to isolate the village by
occupying ambush positions in every possible entry points in the
barangay. They were met by the Army’s 5ID elements that held their
positions for almost eight hours of gun battle,” reads the
statement of Nolcom.
Two UH-1H helicopters of the Philippine Air
Force were also dispatched by Nolcom to pursue the fleeing rebels
with some of them reportedly dragging their comrades who died in the
gun battle.
Nolcom reported that among the rebels killed
were identified by civilians as Melito Tabaday, platoon leader of
ICRC; Leonide Casay and Anderson Sumangen. The three other
fatalities include a woman who remains unidentified.
The military claimed the report from civilians
allegedly disclosed that another prominent rebel leader was also
slain but scant detail is available as of press time.
Wounded on the government side are SSgt.
Francisco Mallari, Ronnie Puglay, Erwin Tumalip, Jeglen Punaal and
Romarico Castro.
-- Harley F. Palangchao
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