2 NPAs killed, 1 captured in clash with soldiers in Oriental Mindoro

CALAPAN CITY, ORIENTAL MINDORO, Philippines — Two alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were confirmed killed and another one captured after an encounter in Barangay Del Pilar, Naujan town in Oriental Mindoro province. Troops from the Army’s 76th Infantry Battalion engaged in a firefight with around 10 members of the NPA under the Southern Tagalog regional party committee on October 21 at around 2 p.m. According to the Army, the NPA members abandoned their firearms as they retreated during the firefight. Recovered from the scene were one M16 rifle, one AK-47 rifle, ammunition, and NPA propaganda materials. The captured NPA member is currently undergoing interrogation. The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and has been engaged in a protracted insurgency against the government for decades. Oriental Mindoro is one of the provinces where NPA activities have been reported in the past. This incident is part of ongoing security operations in the country, with the government vowing to continue its crackdown on communist rebels. The NPA's activities have been seen as a factor affecting the country's economic development and peace and order.