TWO soldiers were killed, while six others were wounded in a series of encounters with communist New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas in the triboundary of Abra, Mountain Province and Ilocos Sur, the military reported on Wednesday.

Four rebels were also killed in the skirmishes, Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command chief, Lt. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang said.

Maclang said the series of firefights began on March 18, after troops from the Army’s 50th Infantry Battalion (IB) encountered a band of rebels, leading to the soldiers’ discovery of a guerrilla base camp in barangay Tubtubo, Tubo, Abra.

The troops are still attacking the base camp as of press time. Reports said the ground troops have requested air support to soften the guerrillas.

The same reports said the Air Force has sent several sorties to strafe and bomb rebel positions.

Maclang identified one of the soldier’s killed as Pfc. Junior de la Cruz of Charlie Company of the 50th IB.

Meanwhile, two soldiers were also wounded after suspected NPA guerrillas lobbed a grenade at an Army detachment in Aurora province.

Maclang said the grenade exploded at the perimeter fence of the Bravo Company of the 69th IB, which is based in barangay Dibacung in Casiguran town.

He said the attack may be related to the coming anniversary of the NPA on March 29.

In Eastern Samar a rebel was killed following an encounter between soldiers and a group of guerrillas.

The Army spokesman, Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, said the firefight between troops from Charlie Company of the 14th IB and a group of NPA guerrillas took place in barangay Gamot, Oras town, on Tuesday.

A caliber .45 pistol and a hand grenade were recovered from the dead rebel.

Military and police forces have been ordered to be ready for communist guerrilla attack owing to the approach of the armed group’s anniversary.

The NPA usually celebrates its anniversary by attacking small military and police detachments in the countryside.

Solon seeks probe into Napocor’s ‘overpriced’ coal purchases

A MILITANT legislator is seeking an investigation into the alleged awarding of a P320-million coal-supply contract by the National Power Corp. (Napocor) to a local dealer which appeared to be nonexistent.

SENATE investigators are poised to pursue next week their stalled inquiry into alleged anomalies attending the $329-million national broadband deal (NBN) with Zhong Xing Telecom Equipment Co. Ltd. (ZTE)

TWO soldiers were killed, while six others were wounded in a series of encounters with communist New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas in the triboundary of Abra, Mountain Province and Ilocos Sur, the military reported on Wednesday.

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Jema’ah Islamiyah (JI) terrorists and Abu Sayyaf bandits have freed the teacher they seized after killing a priest in Tawi-Tawi, a ranking police official said on Wednesday.

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) held on Wednesday a river forum to tackle the problems and solution to the looming water crisis as a result of the continued degradation of rivers and other bodies of water in the Philippines.

SPEAKER Prospero Nograles said on Wednesday the House will vote for the third and final reading the bill establishing the Philippines’ territorial baseline even if it has some defects, which he claimed could be remedied by the bicameral conference committee.

SOME 200 undocumented Filipino workers stranded in Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, including those who stayed under the Al-Khandara bridge in Jeddah, are set to be repatriated early April.