BUTUAN, Philippines - At least 30 families abandoned their homes in the southern province of Agusan del Sur on Friday as government forces and communist rebels clashed, the provincial government and the military said on Saturday.
Maj. Armand Rico, spokesman of the militarys Eastern Mindanao Command, said soldiers from the Philippine Armys 42nd Division Reconnaissance Company were on combat operation on Friday when they caught up with at least 10 New Peoples Army (NPA) rebels at Sitio Lamasaya in Barangay La Fortuna in Veruela town at around 1:30 p.m.
Rico said fighting ensued for at least 25 minutes, resulting in the death of four rebels and wounding of two others. He said only one soldier, Pfc. Reynante Sacote, suffered a slight injury in the face.
Rico said the information about the rebel deaths were provided by fleeing villagers. He said troops involved in the encounter also reported seeing two rebels being carried by their fleeing comrades.
A news dispatch by the Agusan del Sur Provincial Information Office told a different story.
Provincial information officer Ferdinand Perez said fighting erupted when some 60 rebels attacked a military outpost in Katipunan, an adjacent barangay, late afternoon on Friday.
Perez said villagers started fleeing in the night to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. He said the villagers were given temporary shelter at the La Fortuna Elementary School by Veruela Mayor Salimar Loloy" Mondejar.
Chief Supt. Jaime Eloreta Milla, director of the Caraga regional police, earlier ordered a full alert status to all municipal police stations following two NPA attacks and raids on two police stations in the island of Siargao on June 26.
In those two raids, rebels captured at least 16 short and long government service firearms and ammunition and destroyed office equipment and facilities.
The government has filed robbery and rebellion charges against exiled Communist Party of the Philippines founder (Jose Maria (Joma) Sison, NPA Mindanao leader George Madlos aka Ka Oris who hails from Siargao Island, and 15 NPA raiders got caught in a hot pursuit encounters. GMANews.TV