MANILA, Philippines — Government troops killed four alleged New People’s Army fighters in Davao Oriental Tuesday while five other rebels surrendered in Maguindanao province, the military said.
The 28th Infantry Battalion said the four NPA fighters were slain in an almost 10-minute gun battle in Sitio Palo Palo, Barangay Marayag, Lupon town when some 20 rebels fired on soldiers responding to complaints of alleged extortion by the NPA in the community.
The government troops recovered four pistols, an assault rifle and an improvised explosive device while suffering no casualty.
Aside from the fatalities, the retreating rebels were also believed to have suffered more casualties because of bloodstains on their withdrawal route.
Meanwhile, in Maguindanao, Dany Daligdig, 32, Emiliano Tarusan, 47, Mike Kadingilan, 21, Marcelo M Dampo, 49, all Teduray from Barangay Pamantingan, and Wen M Bilagen, 31, a T’boli from Barangay Salumping, all in Esperanza town, Sultan Kudarat., surrendered to the 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion in Ampatuan town.
They handed in a homemade Springfield rifle, a caliber .357, two homemade M79 grenade launchers, and an Ingram machine pistol.
