Philippines: 3 dead in AFP-NPA firefight in Canlaon City Negros Oriental
The Philippine Army's says a five minute firefight broke out between elements of the 11th Battalion 3rd Division of the Philippine Army in a counter insurgency operation. "One soldier and two New People’s Army (NPA) member was killed in a five minute encounter between troops of Alpha Company, 11th Infantry Lapu-lapu Battalion and an undetermined number of NPA members at the vicinity Sitio, Natae, Brgy Bucalan 7:30 a.m. Saturday." Maj Enrico Illeto said in an emailed press release. The reports reports further indentified the soldier 'Killed in Action' as Pfc Edmund Prieto. Meanwhile the Amry report also says. 2 Dead men the Army says were NPA members and identified them as, "Argie Villasan and Elmer CaƱete, allegedly members of an NPA SPARU (Special Partisan Unit) unit, were left behind at the scene." A alleged NPA member, the press statement goes on to say, was the source of the identies of the two alleged NPA SPARU members killed in the firefight,