Military says jets bombed alleged NPA lair in Northern Samar

October 28, 2019

Philippine Air Force supersonic FA-50 jets bombarded an alleged New People’s Army (NPA) lair with 500-pound bombs in Northern Samar over the weekend.


Capt. Reynaldo Aragones Jr., public affairs chief of the 8th Infantry Division,  said the Joint Task Force Storm under the Central Command, Armed Forces of the Philippines destroyed an New People’s Army (NPA) encampment in the hinterland of Barangay Caputoan, Las Navas, Northern Samar early Saturday.


“Utilizing the Philippine Air Force (PAF) supersonic FA-50 jets to conduct surgical airstrikes to deliver 500-pound bombs, the JTF surprised the group of more or less 50 NPA terrorists operating in Northern Samar led by Ceriaco Jerusalem aka Cado,” he said


“Upon the conduct of bomb damage assessment in the impact area by ground troops, the surgical airstrike resulted to the obliteration of makeshift huts in the rebel camp,” he added.


Aragones said government forces recovered two anti-tank land mines, one roll of detonating wire, two sacks of land mines, two improvised grenades, assorted blasting caps, 13 live ammo for M-16, four live ammo for shotgun, one empty magazine for carbine, one laptop, two external drives, 11 flash drives, one icom radio, three cellphones with chargers, four sim cards, one landline tester, 11 civilian backpacks, three military-type backpacks, seven hammocks, two sacks of rice, one box of dried fish, assorted food supplies, assorted medical supplies, and subversive documents.


He said the military are conducting search and pursuit operations against the rebels.


“Bloodstains along the path of the fleeing rebels indicate the heavy casualties inflicted on the communist terrorists,” he added. Robina Asido/DMS