Displacement in Lumba Bayabao (AFP vs NPA), Issue no. 01
On July 26, 2019, the 55th Infantry Batallion (IB) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) launched military operations in the outskirts of the municipality of Lumba Bayabao, Lanao del Sur, which is believe to be where a group of New People’s Army (NPA) were sighted. At around 2:00 in the morning the military launched a ground attack to suppress the presence of the said armed group. Series of artillery shellings were directed to the alleged location of the NPA. The artillery are pre-positioned in Barangay Ragayan in Poona Bayabao, firing towards the direction of Lumba Bayabao where the target, 7kms away, is said to be located. Around 20 families residing in the in the upper portions of barangay Ragayan were advised to come down to the lower part of the barangay for their safety, given that military forces are on the ground. In Lumba Bayabao, 162 families from barangays are Gambai, Gadongan and Lubo-Basara evacuated and sought safer grounds in Barangay Golingan, Cabasaran and Mapantao in Lumba Bayabao.
