Soldier hurt as NPA fires at Army detachment in Capiz
After suffering major blows in recent encounters, members of the New People’s Army (NPA) conducted a daring offensive against government troops Friday morning.
Reports said that the group of Francisco Balois a.k.a. Tonying of the CPP-NPA’s Panay Island Central Front Committee attempted to attack an Army detachment in Jamindan, Capiz at around 8:00 a.m..
The incident injured Sergeant Hernando de Guzman, commander of the Santo Rosario Detachment of the 12th Infantry (Cadre) Battalion based in Santo Rosario, Jamindan, Capiz.
He suffered a bullet wound on his left shoulder during the initial volley of fire.
The detachment, situated in Barangay Santo Rosario, Jamindan, is located approximately 17 kilometers from the 3rd Infantry Division’s Headquarters in Brgy. Jaena Norte also in Jamindan and about 15 kilometers from the town of Tapaz.
“Despite being shot early on in the fight, Sgt. de Guzman still valiantly led his CAAs to defend and to charge the attacking NPA when they turned the tide of battle. He was taken to Camp Peralta Station Hospital for treatment,” said 3ID spokesperson 1Lt. Mark Andrew Posadas.
The 3ID spokesman reiterated that due to the presence of mind of the detachment commander and his CAAs (Cafgu Active Auxiliary) they were able to react quickly and rout the advancing communist terrorists.
The firefight lasted not more than ten minutes, as the rebels were quick to retreat after failing to engage the soldiers and CAA decisively in combat.
“We saw that there were only a few of them (rebels), around ten armed men surrounding our base. Our Cafgus reacted quickly and we were able to rout their advance. Furthermore, we were able to chase them out,” de Guzman said.
“It was a brief firefight. We believe that they either ran out of ammunition or evacuating their wounded and dead,” he added.
Posadas, meanwhile, said that pursuit operations by the 47th Infantry (Katapatan) Battalion are currently underway in the surrounding areas of Jamindan and Tapaz.
It can be recalled that last June 13, a successful ambush was launched by Army troopers against the same terrorist group wherein two blood-soaked satchels that concealed a landmine and subversive communist paraphernalia were found.
“We believe that with the intense pressure of our Internal Security operations in Central Panay, specifically in the areas of Tapaz-Calinog-Lambunao, they have resorted to a desperate move to distract us from our focused goal of flushing them out,” Posadas noted.
“The failure of their attack in Sto. Rosario is a manifestation that they lack the manpower, firepower, and resources to launch full-scale offensives against our soldiers. This in turn indicates that your 3ID has the upper hand in the conflict here in Panay Island and that the accomplishment of our mandated Internal Security mission will be realized,” Posadas added.
Further, he stressed that the attack will not deter them from their goal of successfully accomplishing their mandated ISO mission.
“As a matter of fact, it gives us a clearer picture of the desperation of the NPA and their diminished capability in launching decisive tactical offensives against Government troops. Your Spearhead Division will continue to always be one step ahead of the Communist Terrorists and with the cooperation of every stakeholder let us endeavor to find a peaceful and lasting resolution to this conflict,” he said.
