PAGADIAN CITY (Mindanao Examiner / May 19, 2013) – Dozens of communist rebels disguised as government troops raided Sunday morning a village in the town of Bayog in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga del Sur and carted weapons issued by the military to local militias, police said.
Police said some 40 New People’s Army also seized communication equipment from village chieftain Reynaldo Villaver in Camp Blessing. The rebels, armed with M14, M16 and Ak-47, escaped after the raid.
It was not immediately known why the police failed to detect the presence of rebels – who spent 45 minutes in the area – before fleeing on foot.
Security forces have launched an operation to track down the rebels.
The rebels have been fighting for decades now in an effort to overthrow the democratic government and install a separate Maoist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
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