Three soldiers were killed and 13 others were wounded when members of the New People’s Army ambushed a convoy of soldiers Monday night in Pinukpok town, Kalinga.

Brig. Gen. Paul Atal, chief of the Army’s 503rd Brigade, said the government troops were about to return to their command post in Sitio Allangigan from an Oplan Bayanihan operation in Poswoy, Balbalan at around 11:20 p.m. when the rebels set off land mines and fired at the soldiers.

Atal said around 30 rebels engaged the troops in a firefight that lasted for about 25 minutes.

The slain soldiers were identified as Pfc. Bryan Massagan, Sgt. Benjie Paliw, and Sgt. Daryl Amiling.

Wounded were Pfc. Lunes Ambatang, Pfc. Ryan Guerero, Cpl. Diony Patacsil, Pfc. Jose Gayudan, Pfc. Raymund Vasquez, Pfc. Jomar Gammad, Pfc. Gilbert Ramirez, Pfc. Nestor Roque Jr., Pfc. Dante Mauricio, Pfc. Henry Coloma, Pfc. Richard Bartolome, Pfc. Randel Villadolid, and Pfc. Johnson Carig.

The three fatalities and 12 of the wounded soldiers came from the Army’s 51st Division Reconnaissance Company.

“They (NPA rebels) committed a gross violation of human rights. They used landmines. We recovered explosive devices,” Atal said.