(FILE PHOTO) Army soldiers shot it out with about 15 Dawlah Islamiyah suspects hiding out at a mountain farm close to the remote southern municipality of Piagapo on Thursday, the commander of the military unit said.
Photo: AFP
The government has officially declared the Surigao del Norte province free from the claws of insurgency.
Amid this latest development in the country’s fight against insurgency, the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Saturday vowed there will be “no-let-up operations” against the communist terrorist group (CTG) in their area of jurisdiction.
AFP’s EastMinCom Commander LtGen. Greg T. Almerol said they will be relentless to completely annihilate the remaining forces of the CTG’s guerrilla fronts in their joint area of operations.
Citing a military record from January to March, Almerol said the EastMinCom has neutralized 74 members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
Of this, 62 have surrendered, four were captured, and eight died during encounters.
The military forces also captured 71 firearms, with 58 high-powered and 13 low-powered, as well as recovered eight anti-personnel mines; and discovered one enemy hideout.
Almerol lauded the soldiers for their unwavering commitment to their military mandate, noting that their self-sacrifices “has contributed immensely to the outstanding achievements of the Command since the beginning of the year.”
“With your commitment and dedication to upholding our mission, we will meet this challenge head-on and emerge victorious in safeguarding our nation's peace and security,” he said.
AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. earlier ordered the troops to become more aggressive in resolving the insurgency problem in the country.
“With the timeline given to us by the Chief of Staff, I am confident that we can adhere to it and finish the remaining guerrilla fronts in our area of operations,” Almerol said.
The 901st Infantry Brigade under the Operational Control of the 4th Infantry Division (4ID) has been leading the AFP’s anti-insurgency efforts in Eastern Mindanao.
“May this achievement be a testament to your efforts and dedication to finally defeat the CTG forces and create a conflict-resilient Eastern Mindanao,” Almerol said.
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