Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 8) —Two rebels were killed in a series of encounters with government troops in Negros Occidental, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Wednesday.
The AFP said that the series of encounters happened on Tuesday noon between the AFP’s 15th Infantry Battalion and Communist Party of the Philippines (CCP) New People’s Army (NPA) guerilla front and Southwest front under what it called Komiteng Rehiyon Negros, Cebu, Bohol, And Siquijor (KR NCBS).
“Two (2) NPA terrorists died during the series of encounters and several war materiels were recovered,” AFP Visayas Command (Viscom) said in a statement.
Among the said recovered materials were rifles, pistols, Anti-Personnel Mines, ammunition, medical kits, personal belongings, and some documents.
“This latest debacle of the CPP-NPA further degrades the morale of its members, as their numbers continue to decline, their armed capability continues to fall and they are losing the support of the people,” Viscom Lieutenant General Benedict Arevalo said in a statement.
“The terrorist group is now facing an imminent defeat and it’s only a matter of time before they crumble and fall,” he added.
Arevalo said it does not take pride in taking lives and that the AFP is persistent in calling out the rebels to surrender.
According to AFP Viscom, a total of 28 NPA members were neutralized. It said that these are apart from the “61 supporters and sympathizers who publicly denounced their support from the terrorist group.”
