DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Xinhua) -- Leftist rebels on Monday have abducted anew a soldier in one of a series of raids in southern Philippines. Over a dozen New People's Army guerrillas wearing military uniforms established a checkpoint along a highway in Maparat village, Compostela town, in Mindanao's Compostela Valley province past 6 a.m., stopping motorists and checking identity papers, according to Senior Superintendent Aaron Aquino, provincial police chief. Aquino said one of those stopped was a soldier in civilian clothes on his way to his company headquarters in nearby New Bataan town. He said the rebels then forcibly took the soldier, loaded him onto a truck and fled towards the direction of nearby Monkayo municipality. "Pursuit operations against the suspects are now going on," Aquino told Xinhua by mobile phone. Sources from the military and police said rebels have also mounted checkpoints in North Cotabato and Davao del Sur provinces. The incidents happened exactly a week after communist guerrillas stormed an anti-logging outpost in Trento town, in Agusan del Sur province, killing two civilians and wounding two policemen, one of whom was later taken captive as a prisoner of war. In a statement over the weekend, the rebels admitted the deadly attack in Trento, saying the policeman was treated for gunshot wounds but is now in good condition and being investigated for possible crimes against the movement.
"Any attempt by the military to rescue him would only jeopardize the POW's safe and speedy release," the rebels said.
