Army officer killed in Abra clash with NPAs

By Raymund Catindig

MALIBCONG, Abra -- An Army officer was killed in an encounter with New People’s Army (NPA) rebels here in Barangay Pacqued on Monday.
    Second Lt. Zaldy Lapis of the 72nd Division Reconnaissance Company and his men were conducting combat operations  when they clashed with around 40 members of the NPA’s  Kilusang Larangang Guerrilla-North Abra, Col. Ulysis Laude, 24th Infantry Battalion commander, said.

The 7th Infantry Division (ID) condemned the killing even as it expressed condolences to the family of Lapis.

“Your ultimate sacrifice will not be forgotten. It will be our inspiration to fight until we have achieved peace that we all long for,”the 7th ID said in a statement.

Lapis is the first casualty of the government’s campaign against communist insurgents this year.