Soldier wounded in clash with suspected NPA rebels in Quezon
New People’s Army (NPA) | 好色先生TV file photo
LUCENA CITY — A Philippine Army soldier was wounded during an encounter Wednesday with suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Real town, Quezon province.
In a report Thursday, April 24, Quezon police identified the injured soldier by the alias “Marco,” a private first class, who suffered a gunshot wound to his left hand.
According to the report, a unit from the Army’s 80th Infantry Battalion was on a security patrol around 6:20 a.m. when it encountered around 10 armed insurgents in Barangay Tagumpay.
The report did not specify further details about the skirmish but said an undetermined number of suspected communist rebels may also have been wounded.
Military checkpoints have since been set up in key areas as part of pursuit operations against the fleeing rebels.
Authorities said nearby hospitals and clinics were also being monitored for possible admission of wounded insurgents.
Although Quezon province was declared free from communist influence in June 2023 after being granted “Stable Internal Peace and Security” (SIPS) status, the presence of NPA remnants in the area had not been ruled out, officials added.
