MANILA, March 2 (Xinhua) -- A suspected rebel has been killed in a clash with government troops in Sultan Kudarat province in the southern Philippines, the military said Sunday.
In a report, the military said the fighting broke out around 11 a.m. local time on Saturday when government troops on combat patrol ran into some 20 New People's Army (NPA) insurgents in Palimbang town, resulting in the death of one rebel and the recovery of two firearms.
No government soldier was killed or wounded in the firefight.
NPA rebels have been fighting government troops since 1969.
Military data showed that the NPA's personnel strength has declined since its peak of around 25,000 armed members in the 1980s.
Despite its dwindling fighters, the NPA continues to launch small-scale attacks in the countryside. ■
