by Miriam G. Desacada
Tacloban City-Soldiers of the 74th Infantry Battalion (74IB) confiscated 11 assorted firearms left behind by about 10 terrorists who fled after engaging the government troops in a gunbattle at the mountainous barangay of Magsaysay in Mapanas, Northern Samar early morning of Wednesday (May 10).
The recovered firearms, aside from two bandoliers with full magazines, were: two AK47 assault rifles; four M16 armalite rifles; two M14 rifles; one UZI submachine gun; and two pistols.
Initial report from authorities stated that the 74IB soldiers—led by a certain 1st Lt. Jumawid and 2nd Lt. Codino—were on a routine patrol when they encountered the terrorists.
One soldier was slightly wounded after he got hit on his left arm, while bloodstains were found along the escape route of the terrorists, indicating casualties on their side.
The Mapanas Municipal Police Station, for its part, mobilized its personnel and conducted checkpoint along r road at Barangay Siljagon in Mapanas town, which is one of the possible passageway for the fleeing terrorists.
The 74IB troops were originally Mindanao-based unit that were recently deployed to Eastern Visayas as augmentation force for the 8th Infantry Division in its mission to finish off the remaining terrorists still holding on in the mountains of Northern Samar, particularly. —-Miriam G. Desacada