By CESAR JOLITO III

Government troops clashed with suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) at Barangay Masaling in Negros Occidental’s Cauayan town early yesterday morning, the Philippine Army said.

Lt. Colonel Dennis Martinez, commanding officer of the 47th Infantry Battalion under the 302nd Infantry Brigade, confirmed that the encounter occurred at 5:25 a.m.

Martinez said the military acted on information regarding the presence of armed rebels in the area.

Troops were sent to validate the report, which led to a brief firefight lasting approximately five minutes.

The Army official added that there are indications of possible casualties on the side of the rebels, citing bloodstains found at the encounter site.

However, he did not specify the number of individuals who may have been wounded.

No casualties were reported on the side of government forces as of this writing.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Army has launched a hot pursuit operation in the area to track down the fleeing insurgents involved in the encounter.

Authorities have yet to release further details as operations continue./CJ, WDJ