THREE terrorists were killed and three soldiers were wounded in a renewed series of fighting in the hinterlands of Barangay Pinapugasan, Escalante City, Negros Occidental on Wednesday morning, February 21.

Lt. Col. J-Jay Javines, Public Affairs Office chief of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division (3ID), said troops of the 79th Infantry Battalion (79IB) were on combat operations and responding to the reported presence of terrorists of the Northern Negros Front when the first clash ensued.

However, the terrorists escaped and scampered in different directions.

Javines said the troops launched pursuit operations but met with sporadic gunfire sparking a second fight lasting for about five minutes in the afternoon, which incurred casualties on the government's side.

"These series of encounters indicate that the group are still in the area and may have been protecting their wounded comrades as bloodstains were found at the encounter site on their route of withdrawal," Javines said.

In the aftermath of the fighting, Javines said three dead bodies of terrorists, two males and a female, were recovered from the site.

He said an M653, an AK47 rifle and a.45 caliber pistol were also left behind by the retreating rebels.

He also said that three soldiers were injured during the clashes and are now in stable condition in a hospital.

Army 3ID Commander Maj. Gen. Marion Sison, meanwhile, cited the vigilance of the residents for reporting to authorities the presence of armed men in their area.

"The Negrenses have embraced a heightened sense of vigilance, actively contributing valuable information to our troop, instrumental in identifying and neutralizing the remnants of the communist terrorist group in Negros, leading to the successful operations," Sison said.

Sison reiterated his persistent call for the remaining terrorist group to surrender and avoid facing the same fate as their comrades who were killed in battle.

"Come forward and join the opportunity to return to the folds of the law and reunite with your loved ones, as our dream of declaring Negros Island in the state of stable internal peace and security is within our reach," Sison said.

Meanwhile, troops of the 2ID based in Tanay, Rizal discovered a 10 kilogram of antipersonnel mines in the ridges of Calauag town, Quezon province last Sunday.

Lt. Col. Hector Estolas, information officer of 2ID, said the former rebels led soldiers of the 85IB and Quezon policemen to where the explosives were hidden at Sitio Dondolit, Barangay Dapdap, Calauag town.