DAVAO CITY – Communist rebels have captured two government soldiers in a daring raid Tuesday on a banana plantation in the southern Philippines.
About three dozen New People’s Army rebels stormed the Sumitomo Fruits Philippines in the town of New Corella in Davao del Norte province.
The soldiers, who are part of a security detail at the plantation, were unaware of the dawn attack until rebels stormed their quarter and seized them along with other civilian guards, who were later freed.
Some villagers, who are allegedly supporting the rebels, took part or played a role in the raid.
A number of weapons and radio communication equipment were also carted by the rebels who escaped on a truck used by the company in hauling bananas.
The identities of the prisoners were not immediately known and the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command and the army’s 4th Infantry Division were silent about the raid.
Just recently, rebels also killed four people and wounded seven others after assaulting an ambulance carrying an army soldier and two pro-government militias and a group of civilians in Agusan del Sur province.
The ambulance was used to ferry villagers who attended a church service in Rosario town. The ambushers belong to the Guerrilla Front 14 operating in the provinces of Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur.
Rebel forces are still holding two policemen they captured in nearby province of Surigao del Norte. The rebels seized PO3 Democrito Polvorosa and PO1 Marichel Contemplo on November 16 near the village of Pongtud where the NPA had set up a road block.
The two policemen were on a prowl car when about two dozen rebels intercepted them. The fate of the prisoners was unknown, but their capture came barely four days after rebels snatched PO1 Junrie Amper in Malimono town in the neighboring Surigao del Sur province. (Mindanao Examiner)
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