Suspected leftist rebel killed in Negros

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - A suspected member of the leftist rebel group New People's Army (NPA) was killed in an encounter with government troops in the central Philippines on Monday, a military official said today.

Lieutenant Col. Ramon Zagala, spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said a firefight between soldiers and leftist rebels broke out in Santol village, Binalbagan town in Negros Occidental province, at 6:15 a.m. local time on Monday.

Soldiers were conducting security operations in the village when they were fired upon by around 20 armed men believed to be members of the Central Negros Front, Negros Regional Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the NPA.

The firefight lasted for almost three hours before the rebels escaped.

During the encounter, soldiers arrested nine leftist rebels and recovered eight firearms consisting of one improvised M14 single shot, four shotguns, two caliber .357 and several assorted live ammunition.

Zagala said pursuit operations against the leftist rebels who escaped have already been launched.