Army Uncovers Cache of NPA Weapons in Mansalay

Philippine Army troops have seized an arms cache in Oriental Mindoro province as part of ongoing operations against communist rebels, military officials said Friday.

The 2nd Infantry Division (2ID) reported that soldiers from the 4th Infantry Battalion discovered weapons buried by the New People’s Army (NPA) in South Darayao, Mansalay town, following a tip from a barangay resident.

Lt. Col. Jeffrex Molina, 2ID public affairs chief, said the cache included an M16 rifle, an M14 rifle, parts of a Garand rifle, a shotgun, six magazines, and 180 rounds of ammunition.

In a separate operation, troops from the 80th Infantry Battalion unearthed another arms cache in Quezon province.

That cache contained various firearms and ammunition, including M16 rifles, an M4 carbine, and improvised weapons.

Military officials said that these operations are part of sustained campaign to eliminate remnants of the NPA and maintain peace in the Southern Tagalog Region.

The NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has been waging an insurgency for over five decades.