Unarmed militia killed in south Philippines by leftist rebels

An unarmed member of Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) has been killed in southern Philippine province of Compostela Valley by a group of leftist rebels from New People's Army (NPA), Philippine military said Wednesday. According to Eastern Mindanao Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the died CAFGU, identified as Matrinillo T. Enot, was riding with Private First Class Calid B. Alo at the vicinity of Barangay Casoon, Monkayo of the same province late Tuesday afternoon when they were ambushed by about eight NPA members. While Enot was killed in the ambush, Alo suffered gunshot wound on his left shoulder, the military said, adding that local residents helped the troops in the evacuation of the victims to Medical Mission Group of Hospital in nearby city of Tagum. Lieutenant Colonel Elmer Aterado, commanding officer of the Philippine Army's 25th Infantry Battalion, said that the two victims were in civilian clothes when they were ambushed. "This is another deliberate violation against human rights committed by the NPA. A joint Army-PNP pursuit operation against the gunmen is on-going,"he said. The NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, was formed on March 29, 1969. Latest military estimates placed the NPA's strength at more than 4,000.