5 soldiers dead, 1 hurt in Agusan Sur rebel attack

(Updated 10:32 p.m.) Five soldiers were killed while another was wounded when members of the New People’s Army (NPA) attacked a military outpost in Agusan del Sur early Tuesday morning. Lt. Col. Triumph Dominic Bagaipo, spokesman of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, said around 30 armed rebels assaulted an outpost of the 26th Infantry Battalion (IB) in La Fortuna village in Veruela town at about 1:45 a.m. “The terrorists were able to close in with the outpost which is established more or less 100 meters from the main command post," said Bagaipo. Caraga Police identified the fatalities as Cpl. Basir S Limpasan, Pfc. Roger Espineli, Pvt. Rowel Antonio, Pvt. Elrico Orcijola and Pvt. Sim Punzalan. Wounded in the attack was Pfc. Cesar Sadjail. The firefight lasted around 15 minutes before the communist rebels withdrew. Bagaipo said forces from the 26th IB had been deployed to pursue the rebels responsible for the attack. “As the father of the 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division family, I deeply mourn for the death of five of my family members, rest assured that the dignity of your deaths, my sons, will not come to naught for this incident will only make our resolve stronger to achieve lasting peace in the area," said 4th ID chief Maj. Gen. Victor Felix said. NPA spokesperson Maria Malaya said they attacked the soldiers after seeing them providing security to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NPA) officials and personnel who are inspecting alleged illegal logging activities in the area. The attack came at the heels of a separate ambush in Catarman town in Northern Samar last Friday that left eight policemen dead, including a deputy police head. The police officers were responding to the killing of a village councilor, when the suspected rebels attacked them using landmines. The attackers reportedly shot dead those who survived the blasts and later burned the mobile patrol vehicle. — with Ben Serrano/LBG/KBK, GMANews.TV