Three alleged members of New People Army (NPA) were killed in an encounter with government forces in Agusan del Norte last Sunday, a military spokesperson said Tuesday.

1st Lieutenant Tere Ingente, public affairs office chief of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, said the encounter between troops of 29th Infantry Battalion and unidentified number of rebels occurred at the vicinity of Sitio Taiwan, Barangay Bangayan, Kitcharao.

Aside from deaths of the three alleged NPAs, war materials were recovered by soldiers in an encampment

“The three dead bodies of the NPAs Front 16 of the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) are yet to be identified", Ingente said.

The recovered items were one M4 sniper rifle with scope, several ammunitions, five improvised landmines, one hand grenade, one rifle grenade, and a cellphone.

“Bloodstains in the withdrawal routes of the terrorist NPAs are still being tracked in the meantime,” Ingente said.

Major General Ronald Villanueva, commander of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, said the military forces will continue pursuit operation against the rebels.

“We will pursue these terrorists at all cost just to ensure that the people of Northern Mindanao and Caraga Regions will attain the peace they deserve so that economic development that they were long deprived of will come in,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS