Three 79th Infantry Battalion soldiers were injured in an encounter with New People’s Army rebels in Sitio Bairan, Brgy General Luna in Toboso, Negros Occidental, which caused 334 residents to evacuate on Tuesday, March 18.
The encounter between the 79th IB soldiers and about seven NPA remnants took place at about 7:12 a.m. Tuesday, Capt. Armel Lasap, Toboso police chief, said.
Lasap said the injured soldiers were taken to the Escalante hospital and were in stable condition.
The police had no information yet on whether there were casualties or injured NPA rebels.
Toboso Councilor Richard Jaojoco said as of 4 p.m. Tuesday there were 334 residents from areas near the encounter site who evacuated.
The evacuates sought temporary shelter at the Hilario B. Amparado Elementary School and Gen. Luna Covered Court, he said.
The municipality has provided the evacuees with food assistance and they are waiting for clearance from the military for the evacuees to return home, Jaojoco said.
It is possible that they will spend the night in the evacuation centers because government soldiers have not completed their clearing operations, Jaojoco said.
Toboso Mayor Madonnah Jaojoco has issued an executive order suspending classes at all levels in Barangay General Luna and Tabun-ac Elementary School in Barangay Tabun-ac, Toboso, on Wednesday, and until revocation of the order.
Classes were suspended to ensure the safety of learners and school personnel from the ongoing armed encounter between government soldiers and the rebels, she said.
Col. Erwin Rommel Lamzon, 3rd Infantry Division spokesperson, said what he can confirm is that there was encounter at Sitio Bairan 7:12 a.m. Tuesday followed by a running gunbattle.
He was waiting for a report from the field on whether there was an alleged casualty on the government’ side, Lamzon said.
They will be able to release a report of the incident on Wednesday, he added.*