Nine killed in Philippines clash

SUBIC: Philippine troops and police raided a hinterland area where communist guerrillas were meeting Tuesday, sparking a gun battle that killed eight rebels and a policeman, officials said.

Three wounded soldiers were flown to Manila after the brief fight in a field in the Zambales province town of San Felipe, about 120 kilometres northwest of the capital, officials said. Acting on a tip from villagers, army soldiers and police special action forces clashed with about 20 guerrillas during the raid. They recovered eight rifles after the fighting and were pursuing the rest of the rebels, said military spokesman Lt. Col. Daniel Lucero.

It wasn’t clear if the rebels belonged to the New People’s Army - the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines - or a breakaway faction that also has a presence in the agricultural area.

The guerrillas, considered the most serious threat to the Philippines’ security, have been fighting for a Marxist state for 35 years. They’ve recently stepped up fighting nationwide, staging nearly 100 attacks in the last two months despite a recent resumption of Norway-mediated peace talks. —AP

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