MANILA, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Government troops on Thursday killed two suspected rebels in two clashes in Iloilo province in the central Philippines on Thursday, a military report said.
The report said the first clash occurred in Leon town at 7:30 a.m. local time when soldiers were conducting combat operations following a tip-off from the villagers about the presence of around 20 New People's Army (NPA) rebels in the area.
The second clash broke out later between soldiers and about 10 NPA rebels in the same village, added the report.
Troops recovered three M16 assault rifles, an M14 rifle, an AK-47 rifle, and an anti-personnel mine from the encounter site. No soldiers were killed or wounded in the encounter.
NPA rebels have been fighting the government troops since 1969. They concentrate their attacks on rural areas and have skirmishes with the military.
Military data showed that the NPA is estimated to have 2,000 members, significantly lower than its peak strength in the 1980s. ■
