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In the fiercest encounter in the Valley this year, seven people — two soldiers, four terrorists and a civilian sympathiser of the militants — were killed during a 10-hour gunbattle in Frisal village of militant-infested Kulgam district, 60km from J&K’s summer capital, on Sunday.
One more person was killed later during clashes between protesters and police.
Fresh clashes involving government forces and the New People’s Army (NPA) broke out in the provinces of Sarangani, Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental on Saturday, the military said.
Capt. Rhyan Batchar, spokesperson of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division – which has jurisdiction over the said provinces, said a soldier was injured when elements of the 73rd Infantry Battalion battled NPA rebels in Barangay (village) Little Datal Anggas in Alabel, Sarangani for two-hours starting 10:30 a.m.
Clashes broke out twice between the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N) in Kyaukme Township on Sunday, according to local sources.
Col Tar Phone Kyaw, a TNLA spokesperson, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that fighting occurred after negotiations failed to yield an agreement regarding the crossing of territory.
Witnesses testified to “the killing of babies, toddlers, children, women and elderly; opening fire at people fleeing; burning of entire villages; massive detention; massive and systematic rape and sexual violence; deliberate destruction of food and sources of food”, the report said on Friday.
One woman told UN investigators how her eight-month baby boy had had his throat slit. Another was raped by soldiers and saw her five-year-old daughter killed as she tried to stop them.
Philippine Communist guerillas’ New People’s Army (NPA) on Wednesday unilaterally terminated a ceasefire with the government following several armed clashes between the two sides.
The party’s armed wing said the truce was off as President Rodrigo Duterte’s government had not set free political prisoners and violated the truce with military operations, Efe news reported.