Two soldiers were wounded, while a suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebel was killed after security forces and communist guerrillas clashed in Camarines Norte and Mindoro on Tuesday.
The clashes occurred just a week after the lapse of a holiday cease-fire observed by both sides in preparation for the possible resumption of the peace negotiations between the government and the rebels.
An initial report from the Camarines Norte Provincial Police Office said the encounter occurred at around 6 a.m. in Barangay Sabmakin, Labo, Camarines Norte.
Elements of the Army’s 96th Infantry Battalion and 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company were on combat operations when they engaged at least 15 rebels, resulting in the wounding of one soldier and the death of a rebel.
The report said the body of the dead rebel was recovered by government forces.
The soldiers and policemen launched the operations after they were tipped off about the presence of rebels at Barangay Sabmakin, triggering a 45-minute firefight.
Aside from casualties on both sides, the troops also recovered a K3 squad automatic weapon and an M16.
In Oriental Mindoro, the military also reported that its forces fought with rebels at Barangay La Fortuna in the town of Socorro.
A sketchy report said an Army- enlisted personnel was wounded during the firefight.
The government and the rebels, through the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, went into a cease-fire before Christmas last year as a confidence building measure toward the planned resumption of the peace negotiations.
However, the military had accused the rebels of violating the cease-fire, which lapsed on January 7, by attacking its forces in Camarines Norte, and even policemen in Iloilo. The rebels through their leadership, however, denied the claims.