Soldier injured after military-rebel clash in Bucay, Abra

Abra, Philippines – A soldier from the 77th Infantry Battalion was wounded in an armed clash between government troops and the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) on Friday morning, December 19, in Bucay, Abra.

The gunfight broke out at around 7:00 a.m. when troops of the 501st Infantry (Valiant) Brigade discovered a New People’s Army (NPA) hideout and encountered members of the Regional Guerrilla Unit (RGU) under the Ilocos Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC) at Sitio Tacdangan. The firefight lasted for about three minutes before the CTG elements withdrew.

According to the 501st Infantry Brigade, one soldier was injured during the clash and was immediately airlifted by the Philippine Air Force to the Abra Provincial Hospital for initial treatment. He was later transferred to Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital in Batac City, Ilocos Norte for further medical care.

Follow-up operations after the encounter resulted in the recovery of various personal belongings and food supplies believed to have been left behind by the fleeing rebels.

Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Dean Mark Mamaril, commander of the 501st Infantry Brigade, urged the remaining members of the RGU-ICRC to surrender and start a new life through the government’s peace, reintegration, and amnesty programs.

On the same day, another armed encounter between government troops and rebels occurred in Balatan, Camarines Sur, resulting in the deaths of two soldiers and injuries to three others.