The rebels from the New People’s Army (NPA) have intensified their attacks against the government troops in the island of Mindanao.
One Philippine soldier was killed and three others were seriously injured in an ambush by the NPA last Friday, in the municipality of New Bataan, Compostela Valley Province. In another attack which occurred in the nearby Agusan del Sur province, millions of USD worth of mining equipment were destroyed by the rebels.
Lieutenant Rodel Daguio, a member of the 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army was identified as the deceased serviceman. The army later identified the injured troops as Staff sergeant Arnold Pacino, Private First Class Richie Ursal of the 4th Scout Ranger Company, and Corporal Jaime Clara. Lt. Daguio, who hailed from the Davao City, is survived by his wife and two children.
The casualty occurred when an explosion caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) destroyed a military truck, in which the four soldiers were travelling, at about 11 pm local time. All the four were seriously wounded in the explosion and were immediately rushed to the Montevista District Hospital. Although the doctors were successful in saving the lives of three of them, they were unable to revive Lt. Daguio. The soldiers were travelling to New Bataan, and the explosion occurred only a few meters away from the Iglesia ni Kristo church in the village of Bantacan.
Meanwhile, a group of gunmen, allegedly from the NPA burnt down a mining facility in the nearby province of Agusan del Sur. The attacks, which occurred at 2 pm local time, targeted the local mining company, Satya Mineral Trading. Superintendent Martin Gamba, Caraga regional police spokesman informed the media that a considerable portion of the infrastructure and equipment, including mining equipments, drilling machines, generators, pumps and bull-dozers were destroyed in the attack.
The last few days have seen a surge in the number of attacks from the NPA, and the Philippine Army casualties as a result of such attacks. Last week, two government soldiers died in the Bicol region, when the rebels ambushed them.