FILE PHOTO: In this file photo taken on July 30, 2017, guerrillas of the New People's Army (NPA) stand in formation in the Sierra Madre mountain range, located east of Manila. NPA rebels have been fighting government troops since 1969. - AFP
MANILA: Two suspected members of the New People's Army (NPA) were killed in a clash with Philippine troops in Northern Samar province in the central Philippines, the military has said.
In a recent report, the Philippine Army said troops clashed with a band of alleged rebels on Wednesday in Mapanas town.
During the fight, government troops outmaneuvered the enemy, leaving two dead rebels behind and forcing the rest of the group to flee in disarray, the Philippine Army's 8th Infantry Division said in a statement.
No soldiers were killed or wounded in the clash.
NPA rebels have been fighting 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
