Four suspected communist rebels killed in Philippines

Philippine troops encountered suspected communist guerrillas in a southern village Friday, triggering a battle that left four rebels dead and a soldier wounded, a military spokesman said.

Photo: Four suspected communist rebels killed in Philippines

The clash in Butuan city's Sumilihon village, about 790 kilometers (493 miles) southeast of Manila, lasted for 15 minutes, after which the rebels fled in different directions, Col. Tristan Kison said.

Troops recovered the bodies of the slain New People's Army guerrillas and were scouring the area for the others, he added.

The rebels, who have waged a Marxist rebellion for 37 years, are on U.S. and European Union lists of terrorist organizations.

They suspended Norwegian-brokered peace talks two years ago, mainly to protest Manila's refusal to ask the United States and the European Union to remove them from terrorist blacklists, reports the AP.

I.L.