Reds claim killing 2 soldiers in Davao ambush

KIDAPAWAN CITY – Communist rebels on Sunday claimed to have killed two soldiers in an ambush in Davao del Sur province. In a statement, Simon Santiago of the New People’s Army’s (NPA) Menardo Arce Command said the firefight that ensued from the ambush in Patulangon village in Sta. Cruz town lasted for two hours. "The firefight lasted for almost two hours and resulted to two dead and one wounded on the enemy side. The NPA suffered no casualty and seized one M14 rifle," Santiago said. He said the rebels were positioned on top of a hill when they fired at a military truck carrying militiamen and soldiers from the 39th Infantry Battalion of the 10th Infantry Division. "This is a blow against the 39th IB and a slap on the face of the 10th ID-Eastern Mindanao Command, which recently declared Sta. Cruz town as 'NPA-free' area," said Santiago. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the military to crush the NPA on or before her term ends on June 30. - Malu Cadelina Manar/KBK, GMANews.TV