5 soldiers, 2 civilians hurt in Tanay town blast

Five government soldiers and two civilians were injured in an attack staged by New People’s Army rebels in Rizal province's Tanay town, a military official reported Saturday. Col. Generoso Bolina, spokesman for the Armed Forces’ Southern Luzon Command, said some 10 rebels attacked Barangay (village) Mamuyao around 9:45 p.m. Thursday. Bolina said soldiers from the 16th Infantry Battalion (IB), who were part of the community development team tasked to secure the village, clashed with the rebels for at least five minutes. Bolina said the insurgents hurled an improvised explosive device in front of the village’s day care center, injuring the five soldiers and civilians Zosimo Sumarago Jr, 40, and Cerafin de Dase, 25. “The wounds were due to shrapnel from improvised explosive device thrown in front of Mamuyao day care center," said Bolina. He quoted village chief Jose Cabanedo as saying the attack occurred after a volleyball game village folk organized during the run-up to the village's fiesta celebrations on May 14 and 15. “The soldiers were on security duties in the barangay as part of the AFP’s Oplan Bayanihan and they were also doing community work," Bolina said. According to Bolina, wounded soldiers and civilians were taken to a military hospital inside Camp Capinpin, home of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, also in Tanay town. Investigation into the incident is going on, he added. — LBG, GMA News