Manila: At least nine communist rebels and
one army soldier were killed in clashes on Tuesday as troops closed
in on a guerrilla encampment in a southern Philippine
province, a regional military spokesman said.
Troops recovered assault rifles and other weapons from
the slain New People's Army guerrillas in a mountainous and
thickly forested area outside Valencia city in Bukidnon
province, Major Mitchelle Anayron said.
It was the heaviest loss for the rebels operating in the
province since 12 guerrillas died in fighting in nearby
Zamboanguita township in March, he said.
Anayron said there were about 60 rebels in the area at
the time. Three soldiers were also wounded in the fighting, he
said.
The Philippine military is under orders from President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to defeat the 40-year-old Maoist
insurgency by next year. The 120,000-strong armed forces are
fighting an estimated 5,000 guerrillas.
Peace negotiations between the rebels and the government
brokered by Norway collapsed in 2004 after the guerrillas
blamed the government for their inclusion on US and European
lists of terrorist groups. Both sides took steps to resume the
talks several months ago but the efforts again fell apart.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 18:34