Five Army soldiers were confirmed killed while an undetermined number of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were believed killed and wounded in a firefight Wednesday (January 27) at about 10 a.m. along Mt. Bato within the boundary of Barangay Aguid in Sagada town and in Barangay Mainit in Bontoc, Mountain Province, the military said.

Lt. Col. Loreto Magundayao Jr., 5th Infantry Division civil-military operations battalion chief and concurrent division spokesman, identified the fatalities as Private First Class Velasco Mayao, Pfc. Camilo Abad, Pfc. Joseph Casem, Corporal Napoleon Ramirez, and Pfc. Joey Corpuz.

Private First Class Salvador Villanueva was also seriously wounded while three others were slightly hurt when the Army soldiers belonging to the 54th Infantry Battalion squad led by 1st Lt. Victor Leopoldo encountered with around 30 NPA rebels wherein they engaged in a running gun battle after they chanced each other’s group along Mount Bato.

Magundayao said the Army soldiers pursued the rebels, who took away their killed and wounded comrades, as allegedly evident of the bloodstains in the latter’s route of withdrawal.

Two Huey helicopters were sent within the area on Thursday to bring down the fatalities and be brought to a funeral parlor while the wounded soldiers were immediately airlifted to the 5th Infantry Division military hospital here.

The Army soldiers have been initiating pursuit operations against the NPA rebels led by a certain Ronnie alias Ka Dandan. (PNA)