By CESAR JOLITO III

A soldier from the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) was wounded during a brief encounter with suspected remnants of the Northern Negros Front at Barangay Tamlang in Negros Occidental’s Escalante City yesterday afternoon.

According to 1st Lt. Fevie Fajardo, 79IB civil-military operations officer, government troops were conducting a combat operation in the area when they clashed with an estimated five armed rebels at around 2:00 p.m.

Fajardo said the military operation was launched following intelligence reports received in May indicating that members of the rebel group had allegedly been involved in a series of atrocities in northern Negros, including several shooting incidents and killings that the group had reportedly claimed responsibility for.

The firefight lasted for more than five minutes before the alleged rebels reportedly withdrew and fled toward the northern direction.

One soldier sustained injuries during the encounter, although military authorities have yet to disclose further details regarding his condition.

Troops have since intensified pursuit operations to track down the fleeing rebels.

Soldiers also recovered several personal belongings believed to have been left behind by the armed group at the encounter site.

The military continues to conduct clearing and security operations in the area as part of efforts to prevent the regrouping of rebel forces in northern Negros./CCJ, WDJ