MANILA: Government forces seized assorted weapons and materiel from an abandoned lair of the New People’s Army (NPA) in a remote area in South Cotabato province.

Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) chief Lt. Gen. William Gonzales, in a news release on Monday, said soldiers from the 5th Special Forces Battalion discovered the NPA hideout during patrol operations in Sitio Demamis, Barangay Lacunon, T’boli town on June 8.

Gonzales said the lair is believed to have been abandoned by the rebels under a leader identified as alias “Macmac,” a target of the recent series of operations conducted by the 1st Mechanized Brigade.

Recovered from the lair were one M-16 rifle, one M-16 magazine, one firing pin, one trigger mechanism, three cellular phones, two jungle hammocks, three ponchos, one bandolier, medical paraphernalia and binoculars.

Pursuit operations are ongoing as of this time.

Source: Philippines News Agency