ANGELES CTY- A unit of the Philippine Army overran two camps of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Natividad, Pangasinan and Carranglan, Nueva Ecija last Saturday morning, the unified Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) said yesterday.
In a statement, Nolcom said soldiers from the 72nd Division Recon Company from the Joint Task Force (JTF) “Kaugnay” of the 7th Infantry Division were the first to overrun an NPA camp in the vicinity of Barangay Bachelor in Natividad, Pangasinan at about 8:30 a.m. Saturday.
The soldiers were conducting “combat operations” in the area when they chanced upon the camp which was apparently abandoned by the rebels as government troopers neared. The camp could accommodate no less than 30 rebels, Nolcom said.
Half an hour later, another group of soldiers also from the same task force also found another abandoned NPA camp in Sition Lising, known to the rebels as Camp Lenlen, in Barangay Capintalan in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija. The camp was apparently abandoned by the rebels a week earlier.
“The discovery of these NPA encampments deny them the opportunity of planning out their hostile activities and reduce their maneuver space as Nolcom troops keep the terrorist groups on the run and out-balanced,” Nolcom said.
It noted that “establishing encampments provide them the safe-haven and are used as staging area prior to the conduct of their tactical offensives.”
Nolcom also said its “forces will continue to do its mandate of protecting the people and the community from any threats posed by the CPPNPA terrorist groups in Northern and Central Luzon area through focused military operations.”
