DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Xinhua) - A soldier was killed yesterday afternoon when government troops clashed with suspected leftist rebels in the southern Philippines, local police said today.
The encounter happened as soldiers from the army's 14th Scout Rangers Company were patrolling at Tagmamarkay village in Tubay, a municipality in Agusan del Norte province, when they ran into 20 armed New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas around 2:50 p.m. yesterday, according to Martin Gamba, the police spokesman for the Caraga region.
The ten-minute firefight resulted in the death of a government soldier and undetermined number of casualties on the rebels' side, said Gamba.
He added that the pursuit operations against the fleeing rebels were continuing.
The 4, 000-strong NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, is fighting a 43-year leftist insurgency in 60 provinces.
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The Philippine Star | March 18, 2012 | Article Link
