NPA ‘girl warrior’ killed in Compostela firefight
04/01/2007 | 06:04 PM

A 12-year-old girl tagged as a New People’s Army rebel and a soldier were killed in a firefight on the outskirts of New Bataan town in Compostela Valley province on Saturday, a military spokesman said Sunday.

Capt. Jose Francis de la Fuente, chief of the 10th Civil Affairs Unit of the Army’s 8th Infantry Division, said troops from the 67th Infantry Battalion were on combat operations in the village of Kahayag at 8:24 am when they caught up with around 30 rebels from
the NPA’s Front Committee 20 of the Southern Mindanao Regional Party Committee.

Dela Fuente said the soldiers returned fire at the rebels near a creek after guerrillas shot and killed one Private First Class Bracera. The child was earlier spotted in the area.

“The soldiers had to fire back at the creek area from where heavy fire that had hit PFC Bracera fatally was coming from. The child was spotted earlier in the area with her M16," said Dela Fuente.

After the 30-minute firefight, Dela Fuente said troops recovered from the clash scene the body of Buya.

Citing intelligence information, he said the rebels suffered two more deaths but their bodies were carried away by guerrillas.

Also during clearing operations, Army soldiers recovered from the scene of the encounter four M16 and two M14 rifles.

According to Dela Fuente, one of the recovered M16 rifles was used by Buya in fighting the soldiers.

Dela Fuente said soldiers launched the operation following a tip-off from civilians who he said were fed up with the rebels’ extortion activities.

Buya’s remains were taken to the New Bataan police station where her father claimed the body. “The death of the child-warrior clearly indicates the NPA’s continuing program to recruit minors as their combatants, he said.

Soldiers raided the child’s residence and recovered an M14 rifle, a homemade shotgun, 10 rounds M14 ammunition, three camouflage T-shirts, a white mat canvass with AFP marking and rebel documents. - GMANews.TV