Amid intensified combat and siege operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in various regions and provinces in the country, the New People’s Army (NPA launched multiple sniping and counter-attack operations in September in Masbate and Sorsogon.
On September 6, Red fighters of NPA-Sorsogon (Celso Minguez Command) launched an ambush operation against the forces of the 22nd IB based in Juban, Sorsogon in the Bicol region in Barangay Calpi, Bulan, Sorsogon killing a military official and wounding one more.
On September 16, the NPA-Western Samar (Arnulfo Ortiz Command) fired at 87th IB soldiers encamped in Barangay Canvais, Motiong, Samar. Villagers’ initial report said a soldier on lookout duties was injured.
On September 14, Red fighters initiated gunfire against the 46th IB unit operating in Barangay Dugungan, Jiabong. It took two minutes before the AFP troops returned fire. One soldier of the 46th IB was killed in the encounter while another was reported seriously injured.
On September 15 in Sitio Calanay, Barangay Banco, Palanas in Masbate, the Red fighters from the NPA-Masbate (Jose Rapsing Comand) thwarted an attack by the AFP’s 2nd IB and launched a counteroffensive that killed 10 enemy troops. The people’s guerillas blasted a command-detonated explosive against the enemy troops then successfully maneuvered to safety.
According to Ka Luz del Mar, spokesperson of NPA-Masbate, the enemy quickly retrieved the bodies of their fallen soldiers to hide their casualties but many witnessed the retrieval operations. Due to the AFP’s humiliation and defeat, the fascist soldiers poured 200 troops and personnel into the barangays of Banco, San Carlos and Bigaa in the Palanas town.
Prior to the September offensives, units of NPA-Masbate launched various operations in condemnation of the ongoing Pacific Partnership 2024-2 (PP24-2) – the so-called humanitarian mission of American and Filipino troops in Legazpi City, Albay. The PP24-2 is being used to justify increasing presence of American and Filipino soldiers in the Bicol region for the US-supported “counterinsurgency” war of the Marcos Jr. government.
Ka Luz reminded the NPA-Masbate units that this “defensive battle is a challenge for the NPA-Masbate to continue to persevere in launching offensives to punish the AFP-PNP-CAFGU for their crimes.”