Army: 2 suspected NPA rebels killed in Capiz

At least two suspected New People’s Army rebels were killed in an encounter with soldiers in Tapaz town in Capiz Saturday morning. The Philippine Army said the encounter occurred at about 8:20 a.m. at Sitio Natif in Lahug village in Tapaz town. Reports reaching Army chief Lt. Gen. Arturo Ortiz indicated an undetermined number of NPAs were wounded, two of them eventually succumbing to their injuries. According to the reports, the NPA group was led by one Francisco Balois, a.k.a. Tonying, supposedly the platoon leader of the central front in the area. Soldiers recovered from the area two M-16 rifles, one airgun, one sack of ammonium nitrate, 32 empty cans suspected to be used for making improvised explosives, two gallons of gasoline, 10 backpacks, and subversive documents. The government forces suffered no casualties even as the pursuit operations are still ongoing, the Army said. — JE, GMA News