The Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry (Jungle Fighter) Division recovered an arms cache believed to belong to the terrorist New People’s Army (NPA) during an operation in Barangay Submakin, Labo town, early Wednesday.

The discovery was made following a tip-off from a former NPA member who revealed the location of the hidden war materiel, which was suspected to be intended for future hostile operations in the region.

Among the items recovered were four M16A1 rifles, a Thompson caliber .45 submachine gun, 37 magazines, over 3,000 rounds of ammunition, two improvised explosive devices (IEDs), 100 blasting caps, and two rolls of detonating cord.

2ID spokesperson Lt. Col. Jeffrex Molina said the success of the operation was a significant blow to the NPA’s capacity to conduct armed attacks in Southern Luzon.

“This development highlights the eroding influence of the terrorist NPAs in Southern Luzon as more former members are turning away from the armed movement and supporting the call for peace and development,” he said.

Security forces continue to pursue clearing operations and community engagement activities to encourage more members of the communist terrorist group to surrender and reintegrate into society.

The military reiterated its call for remaining NPA members to lay down their arms and take part in government programs aimed at achieving peace and progress in conflict-affected communities.