Suspected rebels attack Agusan Norte police camp

BUTUAN CITY – An undetermined number of suspected New People’s Army rebels attacked a police detachment in Carmen town, Agusan del Norte province Thursday night, but no casualties were reported from both sides. In a belated report from the Caraga regional information office of the Philippine National Police (PNP), NPA rebels allegedly attacked a detachment of Agusan del Norte’s Provincial Public Safety Company (PPSC) along the national highway in Barangay Tagcatong at the boundary of Carmen and Nasipit towns. The PPSC, formerly the Provincial PNP Mobile Group, routinely puts up checkpoints to monitor illegal logging, smuggling and other activities on mobile patrolling system, and imposes a total firearms ban in the area. Its camp is situated along the national highway, the only road from Butuan City, the Caraga region’s capital, to Cagayan de Oro City and to the rest of northern Mindanao.
View Larger Map No casualties were reported so far as the suspected rebels allegedly withdrew after police manning the camp fired back, according to the police report. Caraga Police Regional Director Chief Supt. Reynaldo S. Rafal earlier ordered increased police visibility in the area and alerted local police for possible attacks in light of the coming 42nd founding anniversary of the NPA on March 29. The NPA has neither confirmed nor denied the attack as of posting time.—Ben Serrano/JMA/JV, GMA News