NARVACAN, Ilocos Sur - Elements of the Philippine Army 41st Infantry Battalion captured one of the biggest camps of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in the mountainous area of Tubo, Abra, a senior military officer reported last week.

Lt. Colonel Angelito de Leon, commander of the army’s 41st Infantry Battalion based in Langilang, Abra, reported to Col. Manuel E. Mariano, Jr., commander of the Army’s 503rd Infantry Brigade based in  Sulvec, Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, that a platoon army soldiers led Lt. Guway captured the NPA camp, composed of 25 makeshift huts, capable of accomodating 70 rebels.

The camp was abandoned by the rebels earlier because of continuing massive military operations in the area.

Prior to this, undetermined numbers of communist rebels were reportedly wounded and killed in the gunbattle between the army troopers and the rebels in the mountainous areas at Barangay Alangtin, Tubo, Abra.

The wounded rebels were reportedly carried by their comrades while withdrawing from their firefight with elements of the Army’s 53rd Reconnaissance Company led by Lt. Logronio.

Soldiers saw several bloodstains and detached flesh at the rebels’ route of withdrawal.

Col. Mariano disclosed that the rebels group was the one who engaged with government troopers in previous encounters in the mountainous areas of the Cordillera.

“The army’s operation was an offshoot of the incident at Cabiten, Mankayan, Benguet where the communist terrorists attacked a camp of the Citizen’s Armed Forces Geographical Unit last month,” Mariano told newsmen. (PNA/Freddie G. Lazaro)