Military launches airstrikes at NPAs in Bukidnon town

A drone shot shows a part of the forested area in Barangay Dumalaguing, Impasugong, Bukidnon blazing on Tuesday (Nov. 2) night. The Facebook page of the Cabinet Officers for Regional Development and Security–Region 10 posted a statement that it was an airstrike attack from the 5th Strike Wing of the Philippine Air Force-against communist rebels in the area. (Photo courtesy of Ram Gania Abejero)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - Government forces have launched airstrikes in the hinterlands of Barangay Dumalaguing in Impasugong, Bukidnon to flush out remaining combatants of the New People’s Army (NPA), the military confirmed Wednesday.

In a radio interview, Maj. Francisco P. Garello Jr., the Army’s 4th Infantry Division public affairs office chief, said the airstrikes were necessary to protect Army troops on the ground as they attempted to penetrate the NPA lairs in the area.

"They (NPA) have their tactics in place - they put landmines around against approaching soldiers to defend their camp (hideout)," he said.

Garello said other details must be kept confidential so as not to jeopardize government ground troops in the ongoing operation.

This came about after the Facebook account of the Cabinet Officers for Regional Development and Security (CORDS) 10 (Northern Mindanao) posted drone shots captured by a certain Ram Gania Abejero of a burning forested area of Dumalaguing on Tuesday night.

Philippine Air Force

In its post, the CORDS-10 said the photos showed the bombardment of "jet fighters” from the 5th Strike Wing of the Philippine Air Force.

The noise of the jets in flight on Tuesday night had startled residents as they shared speculations about the incident in their social media posts.

Barangay Dumalaguing was where Jorge "Ka Oris" Madlos, the commander and spokesperson of the NPA’s national operations command and spokesperson of the National Democratic Front (NDF) in Mindanao, was killed in an encounter, together with his medic, Eighfel dela Peña, on October 30.

Madlos and Dela Peña were earlier found to be infected with the coronavirus disease 20219 after their cadavers were swabbed following the encounter, said Maj. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., the 4ID commander.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

The NDF has been formally designated as a terrorist organization by the Anti-Terrorism Council on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and separate part” of the CPP-NPA created in April 1973. (PNA)