Philippine Military Captures New People's Army Camp in Mt. Province

Strategic Insights -

The Philippine military has dealt a significant blow to the New People's Army (NPA) with the capture of a rebel camp in Mt. Province on Saturday. According to Lt. Col. Loreto Mangundayao, spokesman of the Army's 5th Infantry Division, troops from the 54th Infantry Battalion attacked the rebel base in the village of Bagnen, where they encountered 10 insurgents who quickly abandoned their camp after a 20-minute firefight. No casualties were reported on either side, and the military recovered a laptop computer, rebel documents, and personal belongings of the rebels.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Philippine military, led by the 54th Infantry Battalion, captured a New People's Army camp in the village of Bagnen, Mt. Province, on Saturday.
  • The camp, which had 10 bunkers that could accommodate 50 people, had a mess hall and three small fishponds, according to Lt. Col. Loreto Mangundayao.
  • The NPA, with estimated strength of over 5,000 men scattered in more than 60 guerrilla fronts, has been waging a guerrilla campaign in the countryside for four decades.
  • The insurgent fighters who were encountered by the military numbered around 10, and they abandoned their camp after a 20-minute firefight.
  • The military special operations teams have cleared the area of rebels' mass-base support, leading to resident cooperation with the military.
  • The capture of the camp is seen as a significant blow to the NPA, which has been involved in peace talks with the government that have been stalled since 2004.

Statistics:

  • The NPA has an estimated strength of over 5,000 men scattered in more than 60 guerrilla fronts throughout the country.
  • The rebel camp captured by the military had 10 bunkers capable of accommodating 50 people.
  • The military retrieved a laptop computer, rebel documents, and personal belongings of the rebels from the captured camp.
  • The peace talks between the government and the leftists have been bogged down since 2004, with the United States having included the NPA and its parent body as foreign terrorist organizations.

Sources:

  • XINHUA NEWS AGENCY, Jun 06, 2010