FILE PHOTO: On July 30, 2017, guerrillas of the New People's Army stand in formation in the Sierra Madre mountain range, located east of Manila. - AFP
MANILA: Four suspected insurgents were killed in clashes with government troops in the Philippines over the weekend, the Philippine military said Monday (June 16).
In a report, the military said clashes broke out in Eastern Samar province in the central Philippines and Surigao del Norte province in the southern Philippines on Sunday, resulting in the killing of four New People's Army (NPA) rebels.
According to the report, three NPA rebels were killed in Surigao del Norte fighting, while one rebel died in an Eastern Samar province encounter.
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
