CAMP ELIAS ANGELES, Pili, Camarines Sur – Three anti-personnel landmines were recovered in an encounter between Army soldiers and communist rebels in Bgy Marangui, San Fernando, Camarines Sur at 7:30am today, a military officer said.
Major Harold M Cabunoc, Division Spokesperson said that the platoon of soldiers led by 2nd Lieutenant Vladimio Bula clashed with more or less 10 communist rebels who were in the act of extorting money from the residents in the village.
No one was hurt among the soldiers after the 15minute encounter and there were indications of fatalities among the rebels as shown by the bloodstains along the route of withdrawal.
The government forces recovered three anti-personnel landmines and subversive documents of high intelligence value.
“We received a text message that some NPA rebels were asking for ‘revolutionary taxes’ among the residents in the village,” Bula said. “The rebels mingled with the residents during the firefight prompting us to hold our fire to avoid civilian casualties.”.
Landmines are used extensively by NPA rebels in their attacks on government troops. Since 2009, several NPA attacks using landmines have been recorded in the provinces of Sorsogon, Masbate and Catanduanes.
Under Geneva Conventions Protocol I, Article 85 it is illegal to use landmines because “an indiscriminate attack affecting the civilian population in the knowledge that such an attack will cause an excessive loss of life or injury to civilians”.
The use of landmines is already disallowed among government forces in compliance to the directives from higher headquarters.
Major Harold M Cabunoc, Division Spokesperson said that the platoon of soldiers led by 2nd Lieutenant Vladimio Bula clashed with more or less 10 communist rebels who were in the act of extorting money from the residents in the village.
No one was hurt among the soldiers after the 15minute encounter and there were indications of fatalities among the rebels as shown by the bloodstains along the route of withdrawal.
The government forces recovered three anti-personnel landmines and subversive documents of high intelligence value.
“We received a text message that some NPA rebels were asking for ‘revolutionary taxes’ among the residents in the village,” Bula said. “The rebels mingled with the residents during the firefight prompting us to hold our fire to avoid civilian casualties.”.
Landmines are used extensively by NPA rebels in their attacks on government troops. Since 2009, several NPA attacks using landmines have been recorded in the provinces of Sorsogon, Masbate and Catanduanes.
Under Geneva Conventions Protocol I, Article 85 it is illegal to use landmines because “an indiscriminate attack affecting the civilian population in the knowledge that such an attack will cause an excessive loss of life or injury to civilians”.
The use of landmines is already disallowed among government forces in compliance to the directives from higher headquarters.
Translation: With friends, sharing the pain is half pain, shared joy is double joy.
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