A third New People’s Army (NPA) member died this week in renewed clashes between insurgents and government troops, with the latest encounter in the hinterlands of Barangay Binaguiohan in Negros Occidental’s Escalante City on Thursday morning, April 20.

The fatality has yet to be identified, according to the Philippine Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde) report.

“One unidentified NPA member was killed and two soldiers were hurt,” the 303IBde report added.

The two wounded soldiers in the Escalante City clash were from the 79th Infantry Battalion (79IB).

During the clearing operation, troops of 79IB recovered an M14 rifle, three rifle grenades, three 40mm high explosives grenades, and personal belongings.

At about 2:00 a.m. on the same day, troops of the 94IB encountered a group of NPA fighters at the boundary of Binalbagan and Isabela towns, which claimed the life of a still unidentified NPA member.

Meanwhile, the firefight in Moises Padilla town’s Barangay Quintin Remo on Tuesday, April 18, led to the death of Jose “Jojo” Albores, one of the leaders of the “kangaroo court” tasked to kill persons suspected to be against the NPA, under the Central Negros Front 1 of the Leonardo Panaligan Command. (PNA)