Gun shots ring in Nueva Ecija for Balikatan

Video by INQUIRER.net’s Ryan Leagogo

MANILA, Philippines—With the Balikatan exercises in full swing, the first live fire exercises of the year has begun on Luzon’s largest military camp.

Philippine Army and United States Army’s joint forces swooped down on Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija to conduct the Balikatan 2014’s platoon live fire exercise on Saturday.

Captain Mark Anthony Ruelos, Public Affairs Officer of Fort Magsaysay, said that the aim of the live fire exercise is to enhance the cooperation between the two country’s Armed Forces with the Filipinos taking the lead.

“These exercises are primarily used for jungle warfare,” Ruelos said atop the Fernandez Hill where the exercises were held. “The setting of the exercise is a direct simulation of the landscape where these operations are used.”

With four US soldiers first scouting the area, 15 Philippine troops equipped with M16 and M14 rifles zoomed in on the first target, a dilapidated house that simulates an enemy base.

After the first target has been neutralized, the other 15 troops rained fire on dummy targets simulating enemy soldiers guarding the other target.

“Upon the completion of the objective on the first target, the other half of the Philippine troops engaged the second target,” Ruelos said.

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