Kalinga Soldier Killed in Abra Clash with Suspected Rebels

A PHILIPPINE Army soldier from Kalinga was killed in a clash with suspected communist rebels in Abra during pursuit operations against remnants of an insurgent group, the military said on Tuesday. Corporal Drexler Gumayat, 34, of the Army’s 50th Infantry Battalion, was fatally wounded in a firefight on July 20 in Tineg, a day after troops first encountered the same group in neighboring Lacub. The Army said pursuit and clearing operations were under way. No rebel casualties or recovered firearms had been reported as of Tuesday. — Artemio A. Dumlao