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| Southeast Asia |
| NPA militants kill seven Philippine soldiers |
| 2014-10-14 |
| Communist militants killed seven Philippine soldiers in separate attacks in retaliation for the brutal slaying of a farmer and his son, a spokesman for the New People's Army said on Monday. Roel Agustin said the militants ambushed members of the 66th Infantry Battalion in the town of New Bataan in Compostela Valley province. He said another NPA unit also attacked soldiers from the 67th Infantry Battalion in Baganga town in nearby Davao Oriental and in Trento town in Agusan del Sur province. Agustin accused troops from the 66th Infantry Battalion as being behind the murder of farmer Rolando Dagansan and son Juda on October 12. There was no immediate statement from the military on the NPA accusations, but Agustin said militants would continue offensive operations in the region. He also dismissed military declarations that many provinces have been liberated from communist control or influence. The militants are also holding two army soldiers - Privates Marnel Cinches and Jerrel Yurong - who are members of the 8th Infantry Battalion. Both Cinches and Yurong were unarmed when militants captured them on August 22 and declared the pair to be prisoners of war. Regional military chief Maj. Gen. Aurelio Baladad has ordered security forces to pursue the militants who are holding the two soldiers. He said the NPA has kidnapped at least 21 soldiers during the past four years in eastern Mindanao alone and used them as political propaganda. |
| Posted by:ryuge |