Soldier Killed, Policeman Hurt In Mt. Province Clash

October 28, 2019 Headlines

BAGUIO CITY(October 25, 2019) — A soldier was killed while a policeman was wounded after government forces clashed with communist guerillas in barangay Soquib, in Besao, Mt. Province Thursday afternoon.
The 30 minute gunfight resulted to the killing of Corporal Felimon Naganag, 36, from Dangwa, Tabuk City in Kalinga and member of the Philippine Army’s Special Forces while Patrol Hebron Awisan, a member of the Regional Mobile Force Batallion 15 of the Cordillera police.
The soldiers and policemen were reportedly on foot patrol in the area between the boundaries of barangays Soquib, Besao and Balugan, Sagada, when fired upon by communist rebels from the Leonardo Pacsi Command of the NPA in Mt. Province hitting Naganag and Awisan.
Naganag died at the hospital in Besao town proper Thursday 8 o’clock in the evening while Awisan is now recuperating from his right arm bullet wound. “Ka Magno Udiaw”, spokesman of the NPA-Mt. Province said no rebel was either killed nor wounded and “safely withdrew after the attack”.
The NPA spokesman claimed government forces kept on firing their weapons several hours after the gunfight toward agricultural lands and pasturelands scaring villagers nearby.
Last month the Northern Luzon Command launched massive and focused military operations in Bauko, Besao, Bontoc, Sagada, Tadian, all in Mt. Province and Tubo in Abra deploying troops from the 5th and 7th Infantry Divisions with counter-insurgency police units to “finish off the NPA” in the area.
Artemio Dumlao/ABN