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| Southeast Asia |
| NPA rebels kill five civilians, kidnap five soldiers |
| 2013-06-20 |
| Communist insurgents killed five civilians and kidnapped five soldiers in the southern Philippines on Tuesday in the latest violence following the collapse of peace talks. Philippine military spokesman Colonel Ramon Zagala said about 40 New People's Army guerrillas attacked a tree plantation on Mindanao Tuesday, killing five workers and burning equipment. Just the day before, NPA fighters in another part of Mindanao seized five soldiers as they were passing through on motorcycles, he added. Zagala condemned the latest attacks saying, "This is clearly contrary to what they're saying, that they want to end violence through peace talks." Regional military spokesman Major Leo Bongosia said the attack on the plantation is part of an extortion attempt. He said, "The plantation did not give in to the NPA's extortion demands. The usual tactic is to burn the equipment as a warning." "Perhaps they fought back and resisted," Bongosia said when asked why he thought the civilian workers were gunned down by the militants. In Davao City, an NPA unit abducted five soldiers as they were traveling unarmed in civilian clothes to buy supplies for a community food program. Local military chief Colonel Leopoldo Galon said the kidnappers wore military-style uniforms. The soldiers are being held at gunpoint by insurgents in Paquibato district. However, one officer escaped while his five other companions were taken hostage. |
| Posted by:ryuge |