MANILA, Mar 12 (NNN-PNA) – The Philippine military said this morning that, two leftist rebels and an army soldier have been killed, in a clash in Samar province, in the central Philippines.
The military said, fierce fighting broke out shortly after 8.00 a.m. local time, between the Philippine Army and at least 10 New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas, in a village of the coastal Pinabacdao town.
The fighting lasted 25 minutes, resulting in the killing of the three, the report added.
The report said, troops recovered an M16 rifle, ammunition, mobile phones, five solar panels and a backpack from the slain rebels.
The NPA rebels have been fighting the Philippine government since 1969, making the rebel group one of Asia’s longest-running insurgencies. They concentrate their attacks in rural areas and small-scale skirmishes with the military.
The NPA strength is estimated at 3,500, a number significantly lower than its peak time of around 25,000 in the 1980’s.
Over the past five decades, the NPA rebels have continued to carry out killings, raids, kidnappings, acts of extortion, and other forms of violence, primarily directed against the Philippine security forces.– NNN-PNA