[Gulf Today] Three Philippine soldiers were killed and five others were injured in an ambush the by New People's Army (NPA) in Agusan del Sur province. Lieutenant General Aurelio Baladad said the ambush occurred on Saturday in the town of Prosperidad and involved elite Army Scout Rangers.Initial reports said the rangers, who were in a convoy of five military vehicles, were checking on reports of heavily armed men in a remote village in Prosperidad. Along the way, the NPA militants set off an improvised bomb placed along the road, killing the three soldiers on the spot. Immediately after the blast, militants who were deployed on both sides of the road fired at the soldiers, resulting in a 30-minute gunbattle.
The military also reported that an NPA militant was killed on Monday in a clash with troops in the town of Kicharo in Agusan del Norte province. The encounter began when a team of soldiers were sent to check complaints about NPA militants extorting money and food from villagers.