Suspected rebel Killed, soldier injured in clash in Philippines

MANILA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) — Philippine troops killed a suspected rebel in a clash in Batangas province, south of Manila, the military said Thursday.
The military said the 20-minute gunfight between the troops and the New People’s Army (NPA) broke out in Lobo town on Wednesday when the government soldiers were on patrol.
The rebels fled after one of their members was killed, while a soldier was injured, the military said, adding that the troops recovered weapons and ammunition at the encounter site.
NPA rebels have been fighting the government troops since 1969. Despite the decreasing number of fighters, NPA rebels concentrate their attacks on rural areas and have skirmishes with the military.
Military data showed that the NPA’s personnel strength has declined since its peak of around 25,000 armed members in the 1980s. ■