Butian City, April 13 (NNN-PNA) Authorities on Friday intensified round-the-clock combat operations and internal security operations (ISO) in the northeastern and southern Mindanao regions.

Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Obaniana, area command chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMincom) based in Davao Gulf, ordered the Army’s Northeastern and Northern Mindanao Fourth Infantry (Diamond) Division and the Army’s Southern and Central Mindanao 10th Infantry (Agila) Division to redouble their combat operations to avert any attacks by communist insurgents of the New People's Army (NPA).

He also ordered a continuous massive wide “hot pursuit� operations without let up against NPA raiders of the Davao Penal Colony in Davao del Norte and PR Sawmilling plant in Agusan del Norte.

All brigade and battalion commanders were also ordered to close watch candidates running in the May 14 polls who are reportedly being harassed by communist insurgents.

The Army, in support of the Philippine National Police (PNP), will assist all candidates, regardless of political parties, who would seek assistance while on their campaign trails.

Maj. Samuel C. Sagun, regional Army spokesman, said the ISO shall be done to flush the NPA out from their bases, make them go on the run, constrict their maneuver space and prevent them from using the people as shields for any trouble that they commit.

About 60 communist rebels swooped down on a sawmill plant in southern Philippines on Thursday and set on fire heavy equipment, a police official said.

Chief Supt. Antonio D. Nanas, director of Northeastern Mindanao Police Regional Command 13 (PRO 13), said the NPA rebels were from Front Committee 88 of the CPP-NPA Northern Mindanao Regional Committee (NMRC) under “Commander Kikoy�.

Early this week, NPA rebels disguised as army soldiers raided the Davao Penal Colony in Davao del Norte and carted away more than 100 firearms of various calibers.

Meanwhile in ZAMBOANGA CITY, Government troops discovered a dumping site in Zamboanga Sibugay province where victims of alleged NPA purges were reportedly dumped.

Col. Jovencio Magalso, chief of the Army's 102nd Infantry Brigade, reported that the dumping site was located last week in the forested area of Bulahan, a hinterland barangay in the town of Buug.

Magalso said the dumping site is a 30 feet deep well where they recovered skeletal remains of at least 15 people including that of a child.

He said the victims include civilians who were sentenced by the NPA's "kangaroo court" and NPA members suspected of being government spies.

The dumping of NPAs' purges victims, reportedly executed in the 80's, was discovered following information from two former NPA members.

Magalso said they placed all the skeletal remains in a wooden box and buried it near the deep well where the bones were recovered.

It could be exhumed for proper identification once there will be some relatives whose family members were missing for the past years.