AFP sending more troops to combat communist terrorist groups

June 23, 2020

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will redeploy more troops to step up focused military operation against communist terrorist groups as more areas were placed under general community quarantine (GCQ).

"Now that the number of areas on ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) that were placed on GCQ continues to increase,  more and more AFP personnel can now be redeployed to further step up the tempo of focused military operations," said Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesman, on Tuesday.

"The AFP will pursue our operational initiatives against communist terrorist group and seize the momentum given the string of successes we had very recently," he said.

"We will strike while the iron is hot," he added.

Arevalo also emphasized the importance of the redeployment of troops.

"The redeployment and additional troops is a very big thing on the sustainment of our focused military operations," he said.

"If our current deployments have already been reaping success, we are confident that the fresh troops that will be brought back to the frontlines will have positive impact in our campaign against the CTG (communist terrorist group) and the LTG (local terrorist group)," he added.

Arevalo recalled that fromJune 16 to 23, 2020 alone, "at least 10 members of CTG were killed, including an NPA terrorist leader operating in Occidental  Mindoro and a member of the so-called Morong 43, during armed encounters with AFP personnel."

"Meanwhile around 22 CNT (communist terrorist) and MB (militia ng bayan) surrendered or were captured. At least 26 firearms, an IED (improvised explosive devise), four rifle grenades, two electronic devices and USBs containing important information about the terrorist organization were either seized or captured," he said. Robina Asido/DMS