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Volunteers Help Police Repulse Commie Attack in Eastern Philippine Town
 A group of soldiers who were traveling to their place of work in the eastern Philippines helped police and coast guard troops repulse what could have been a disastrous attack by communist rebels yesterday in the eastern Philippine port town of Matnog, military and police officials said. National Police chief Oscar Calderon said up to 100 New Peoples Army (NPA) guerrillas, arriving in land vehicles and motorboats, attacked the police station and nearby coast guard office in Matnog, Sorsogon province, about 400 kilometers southeast of Manila, when everyone in the town was still asleep. The guerrillas managed to destroy the police station but were forced to withdraw after a two-hour gunbattle as government volunteer troops and soldiers waiting for a ferry ride joined the defenders, said local army commander Brig. Gen. Arsenio Arugay. Unfortunately for (the guerrillas), there were some troops present in the town at the time of the attack. They suffered heavily on this tactical offensive, Arugay said. When the smoke of battle cleared, five of the rebels were founded dead as against only one maritime police officer, said Matnog police chief Jesus Callada. Five other policemen and a civilian were wounded. The rebels arrived in the town aboard two buses, a passenger jeep and an ambulance and immediately surrounded and attacked the police stations, Callada said. Calderon said the rebels broke into small groups as they withdrew, some taking the boats, as army reinforcements arrived. Three M-16 rifles and assorted explosives were recovered from the slain rebels, he said. Posted by: Fred 2006-07-23 |
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