MANILA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- A suspected New People's Army (NPA) member was killed in a firefight with government troops in Silvino Lobos town, Northern Samar province in the central Philippines, where the insurgents were allegedly extorting from residents, the Philippine military said Thursday.
A spokesperson for the Army's 8th Infantry Division said soldiers launched an operation early Wednesday in the hinterlands of Gusaran village following reports that rebels had been forcing farmers to surrender portions of their harvest.
As troops approached an NPA encampment, they came under fire from an undetermined number of insurgents, sparking a 15-minute clash.
The rebels later withdrew, leaving behind a slain comrade, an M16 rifle, and other personal belongings, the spokesperson said.
While NPA continues to operate in rural areas across the archipelagic country, the military said that its strength has dwindled to about 1,000 fighters, down from a peak of some 25,000 in the mid-1980s. ■
