A suspected rebel was killed and a government soldier and a civilian were injured in an encounter in Sitio Bugalo, Barangay Santol, Binalbagan in Negros Occidental 5 p. m. Thursday, Maj. Cenon Pancito, 3rd Infantry Division spokesman, said Friday, August 6.
The 94th Infantry Battalion soldiers were conducting pursuit operations when they encountered five armed men believed to be New People’s Army rebels in Sitio Bugalo that resulted in a five-minute firefight.
An unidentified alleged rebel, whose body was recovered, was killed, Pancito said.
A soldier, whose name was withheld, was wounded on the right leg, and a civilian identified as Henry Pial was hit by a bullet on the left ear, Pancito added.
The soldiers seized a .38 caliber pistol with ammunition from the encounter site.
On Tuesday, August 3, two suspected rebels were also captured after an encounter with the 94th IB also in Barangay Santol, Binalbagan.
Captured were George Francis Eso and Eduardo Mission Estrada of Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental and alleged and members of the NPA’s Central Negros Front 1, Pancito said.*