Caraga: Government troops recovered a dozen firearms from communist rebels in a string of operations across the Caraga Region from June 18 to July 4, a military official here said Monday.

According to Philippines News Agency, the Army's 901st Infantry Brigade (901Bde) announced that the latest firearms recovery took place on July 3 and 4 in the mountains of Jabonga, Agusan del Norte. During this operation, troops from the 29th Infantry Battalion seized seven AK-47 rifles and one M16 rifle over two days.

Brig. Gen. Arsenio Sadural, the 901Bde commander, stated that the NPA rebels have little chance of regaining control in Surigao del Norte and the northern part of Agusan del Norte. He attributed this to the widespread awareness among the people of the rebels' activities. Surigao del Norte has been declared insurgency-free, with the assistance of stakeholders, including the local communities, in preventing the resurgence of armed insurgents.

The recovery of the eight firearms was facilitated by information provided by 'Rem,' an NPA combatant who surrendered to the 30th Infantry Battalion (30IB) on June 18. Following his surrender, he led 30IB troops to Barangay Mabini, Placer, Surigao del Norte, where they recovered two M16 rifles.

Further developments occurred on June 20 and 23 when two other NPA guerrillas, identified only as 'Allen' and 'Agreb,' also surrendered to the 30IB. They handed over two M16 rifles and ammunition. These surrenders followed skirmishes between 30IB troopers and NPA rebels from June 13 to 15 in the hinterlands of Barangay Bugas-Bugas, Placer, Surigao del Norte. These encounters resulted in the death of three NPA rebels and the surrender of two others.