TACLOBAN CITY – Government troops under the Army’s 62 nd Infantry Battalion based in Llorente, Eastern Samar killed three suspected members of the New People’s Army when they raided Monday morning a rebel’s lair near Barangay Amantacop, Borongan, Eastern Samar.

Col. Rey Lanuzo, commanding officer of the 62 nd IB, told Leyte Samar Daily Express that patrolling soldiers headed by Lt. George Buguaon encountered at least 30 fully armed rebels in that interior barangay, which resulted in the death of the three persons.

He identified two of the fatalities as a certain Ka Arnold, 31, Borongan and one Merlene Plumentera alias Ka Analie, of Barangay Baclas, also of borongan town. The other fatality, a woman, has remained unidentified.

According to Lanuzo, the soldiers were able to recover three Armalite rifles from the scene of the gun battle.

He added that no one was hurt from the government side.

As of this writing, pursuit operations were undergoing near the town of San Julian where the rebels were believed to have fled.

Earlier, a raid was also undertaken three kilometers away from Brgy. Amantacop. A report form the military disclosed that a child was caught in the crossfire and was “killed in action.”

The series of the military operations in some parts of Eastern Samar was an offshoot of the NPA national leadership’s earlier announcement that the rebels would conduct a widespread offensive against the government forces as the Communist Party of the Philippines is to observe its anniversary on December 26. (With a report from PIA - Borongan)