Five Troops Killed İn Clash With Philippine Communists

Five Philippine soldiers have been killed in an ambush by suspected communist rebels in the north of the country, local media reported Friday.



Thursday night's attack in Ilocos Sur province on Luzon island saw at least five other troops wounded, military sources said.



The Philippines Star said a platoon from the 81st Infantry Battalion was with a police detachment when they were attacked by at least 15 New People's Army insurgents at around 8 p.m. local time (1400GMT) near Quirino town.



Battalion commander Lt. Col. Jason Bajet said the troops were travelling on military trucks when they were ambushed as they returned to their base.



"The NPA bandits used the civilians as human shields in that particular encounter," he said in a statement. "My troops tried their best to avoid civilian casualties by controlling their fire."



Bajet said reinforcements and civilian ambulances were fired upon by the rebels.



Ilocos Sur is not known as a stronghold of the communists but Quirino is near Mountain province where the insurgents have a base.



The New People's Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has been waging an insurgency since 1969 that has left tens of thousands of people dead. It reportedly has around 4,000 members in 69 of the country's 81 provinces.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Zamboanga