By BEN SERRANO Correspondent BUTUAN City--The New People’s Army on Tuesday denied that rebels attacked and killed a soldier, militiamen and mining workers in Sarog, Barangay San Isidro, Santiago in Agusan del Norte over the weekend. The NPA’s Front Committee 16, in a Feb. 14 statement, strongly denied claims made by 29th Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Glenn Joy and spokesperson Capt. Angelo Gomez that there was an encounter between government troops and guerrillas in the area on Saturday. “There was no encounter... because no member of the NPA in northeastern Mindanao was in Sarog during that time,” reads the statement released by Ka Oto, the spokesperson of the NPA group. He said the only armed people in the area at that time were from militia groups, and soldiers. He said the armed men were interested on mining tunnels. Ka Oto said the armed men planned to ransack the tunnels with high-grade gold. He said the armed men, who were masked, were with soldiers and police officers when they attacked small-scale miners in Sarog. The alleged attack resulted in the killing of a 17-year old male, and 40-year old Pepito Tiambong Guinoyoran in Santiago town. Seven others were wounded: Samuel Jaum, 40; Orly Cuyo, 38; Oca Sandag, 40; and four more who are still unknown. The NPA said M/Sgt. Marlon Balais was also killed in the crossfires while guard Oka Sandag and two militiamen were wounded. Ka Oto said four intelligence “assets” of the 29th IB attempted to enter the tunnels a day before the killings. He said the miners refused to let them in, and the “assets” left after threatening the miners. Ka Oto said the military made up a story to cover up the killings, and because a soldier and and militiamen were killed.