The Philippine Army, in a post on social media platform Facebook, said that two soldiers were killed and three others wounded when a landmine planted by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels exploded. One of the soldiers killed was a platoon leader and the other was a first lieutenant.
According to a post by the Philippine Army’s 9th Infantry Division on Facebook on Saturday, the incident happened on Friday in Barangay Cabungahan. The wounded are also reported to be soldiers.
The 9th Infantry Division described the incident as an “attack” on government forces using anti-personnel mines, and said it was a violation of international humanitarian law because such weapons endanger civilians.
The NPA has been waging an anti-government campaign since 1969. For decades, its activities have been concentrated in the rural areas of the archipelago, primarily in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. However, security officials claim that its number has significantly decreased in recent years.
The army says the NPA’s capabilities have been greatly diminished. At its peak in the mid-1980s, its fighting force numbered around 25,000, but it has now dwindled to just 1,000.
