Soldier, 2 NPA members killed in Ilocos Sur encounter

August 9, 2020

A soldier and two alleged members of the New People’s Army were killed in an encounter in Candon City, Ilocos Sur last Saturday afternoon.

According to the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom), troops from the 702nd Infantry Brigade were conducting security patrol in the vicinity of Barangay Suagayan, Candon City in Ilocos Sur when they encountered armed elements from Komiteng Larangang Gerilya-South Ilocos (KLG-SIS) led by terrorist leader alias “Nero” around 2:00 pm.

The patrol operation was done after receiving reports from concerned citizens about the presence of an armed group lurking in their communities.

The encounter, which lasted until midnight, resulted to the death of one soldier and two rebels.

Ilocos Sur’s recent proclamation of communist rebels as persona non-grata in their province has resulted in a major weakening of the communist rebels in the area, military said.

Nolcom said its units will continue to pursue the remnants of communist rebels and advised the public to be more vigilant of their surroundings and report any suspicious activities to the authorities. Ella Dionisio/DMS