MANILA (Xinhua): Philippine security forces killed four alleged members of the militant group Dawlah Islamiya (DI) during a clash in Maguindanao del Norte province in the southern Philippines on Monday morning, the military said.
In a report, the military said the troops were conducting combat operations in Barira town when the clash occurred around 5:45am local time.
Troops recovered two M16 assault rifles, a cal. 45 pistol, two anti-personnel mines, and assorted ammunition from the encounter site, the report added.
No government soldier was wounded or killed in the firefight.
The DI is behind several atrocities in Mindanao, including the bombing at Mindanao State University in Marawi city in Lanao del Sur province in December 2023, which left four people dead and 50 others injured.
In another incident, three suspected rebels have been killed in a series of clashes with government troops in Northern Samar province in the central Philippines, the Philippine military said Monday.
In a report, the military said the three New People's Army (NPA) rebels were slain during gunfights that started around 6 a.m. local time in Mapnas town on Sunday.
Troops recovered two M16 rifles, an anti-personnel mine, and assorted ammunition from the encounter sites, the report added.
No government soldier was killed or wounded in the fighting.
NPA rebels have been fighting against government troops since 1969.
Military data showed that the NPA's personnel strength has declined since its peak of around 25,000 armed members in the 1980s.
Despite its dwindling fighters, the NPA continues to launch small-scale attacks in the countryside. -- Xinhua
