Eastern Mindanao Command chief Maj. Gen. Filemon Santos Jr. has directed the different line units under his command to sustain its military operation against the Communist rebels.
Santos issued the order following the series of encounters between the government troops and the rebels in Eastern Mindanao for the past week.
“Continue with our relentless operations (against the New People’s Army),” Santos said.
Lt. Col. Ezra Balagtey, EastMinCom spokesperson, said five encounters happened this week, bringing the number to 18 since the start of the year.
On Friday at 4 a.m., two NPAs were killed in an encounter with the troopers of the 30th Infantry (Python) Battalion in Sitio Little Baguio, Barangay Payapag, Bacuag, Surigao del Norte.
One of the fatalities was identified by his relatives as Maven Vallecer, alias RK, while the other fatality, an amazon, was yet to be identified.
Troopers were able to recover an AK47 rifle, an M16 rifle, a landmine with one hundred meters electrical wire, assorted medicines, personal belongings, and subversive documents.
In another encounter, troopers of the 401st Infantry Brigade killed two other rebels in Kabulohan, Barangay Buhisan, San Agustin, Surigao del Sur.
Soldiers recovered anti-personnel landmine and several ammunitions.
