Army troops uncover landmine, arms cache in Agusan del Norte

By Francis Wakefield

Two landmines were discovered by troops of the Army’s 23rd Infantry Battalion in Agusan del Norte over the weekend, the military said Monday.

Troops under Lt. Col. Francisco Molina were conducting security operations in So Bulak, Barangay Lower Olave, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte, at about 11 a.m. on March 2, 2019, when they received information from a concerned individual about the presence of armed individuals in the area.

After a few minutes, the troops found two landmines laid by the enemy on the ground.

The International Humanitarian Law-banned anti-personnel landmine was immediately retrieved and placed under safety process before it was taken to the headquarters of the 23rd IB for safe disposition.

In a separate incident, troops from Army’s 39th Infantry Battalion (IB) discovered a New People’s Army (NPA) arms cache along the “Peace Zone” of Sitio Alimodian, Barangay Banayal, Tulunan, North Cotabato in the morning of March 1, 2019. The discovery was based on the information of a former NPA member who surrendered to the unit.

Lt. Col. Rhojun Rosales, commander of the 39IB, said among the guns seized were a machine gun, two high-powered rifles, and four rifle spare barrels.

On February 26, 2019, operating troops of the 56th Infantry Battalion also seized four high-powered firearms in Barangay Dagohoy, Talaingod, Davao del Norte.

Meanwhile, another arms cache reported in Sitio Bulak, Barangay Lower Olave, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte, last February 27.