TACLOBAN CITY — A long-range patrol by government security forces led to the recovery of assorted firearms and explosive materials believed to be linked to communist terrorist groups in the hinterlands of Sta. Rita, Samar.
The operation was carried out by the 805th Maneuver Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 8 (RMFB8) at around 12:20 p.m. on December 13, 2025, in Barangay Binanalan, as part of intensified security operations in the area.
Police said the patrol was launched after a former rebel provided information that war materials were buried underground in the barangay. Troops immediately verified the report and proceeded to the identified site, where they successfully unearthed the items.
Recovered from the area were a homemade shotgun; two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) measuring about 10 inches in height and 2.6 inches in diameter; 20 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition; four rounds of shotgun slug; four rounds of 7.62mm ammunition; about 19 meters of wire; a first-aid kit; one and a half blasting caps; around 250 grams of ammonium nitrate; and a YTX4L motorcycle battery.
Authorities said the recovered materials are now in the custody of the 805th Maneuver Company for proper documentation, safekeeping, and disposal in accordance with standard procedures.
The recovery highlights the continuing efforts of security forces in Eastern Visayas to dismantle the remaining logistical support of communist terrorist groups and prevent the use of illegal firearms and explosives that pose threats to public safety.
(ELVIE ROMAN ROA/(LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA)
