Troops from the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) on Saturday seized four improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Rizal, Cagayan province after a one-hour firefight. Lt. Col. Isagani Nato, Nolcom public information chief, said a caliber 22, a radio communication gadget, three backpacks, medicine packs, subversive documents and personal belongings were also confiscated. According to Capt. Jeffrey Somera, 5th Infantry (Star) Division public information chief, local “informants” had tipped them off about the presence of the NPA guerrillas in the area. “The [Nolcom] will continue to conduct FMO [focused military operations] in its area of responsibility to make the communist terrorist group insignificant, allowing development in NPA-affected areas in Northern Luzon and Central Luzon in cooperation with the people, civil society organizations and local governments,” he said.
