Philippine Troops Kill 7 Communist Rebels in Latest Flare-up of Decades-long Insurgency
Army forces killed two New People's Army guerrillas in a clash last week in Masbate province and then caught up with the fleeing insurgents early Sunday in the hinterlands of Uson town, where they killed seven of them in a 30-minute gunbattle, Maj. Frank Roldan of the army's 9th Infantry Division said.
Seven assault rifles and two grenade launchers were recovered by troops at the scene of the battle. At least eight rebels managed to flee in different directions and were being pursued, Roldan said.
'We're in the final push,' Roldan told The Associated Press by telephone, saying a few dozen armed guerrillas remain in the island province, a poverty-stricken agricultural region of more than 900,000 people.
'This successful operation delivers a major blow to the already weakening insurgency,' Roldan said, and asked the remaining rebels to surrender and support the government's peace efforts.
Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said last week that less than 900 rebels remain, mostly in eastern rural regions, from the estimated 25,000 insurgent force at the peak of the 56-year insurgency, one of Asia's longest-running rebellions.
Saddled by battle defeats, surrenders and factionalism, the guerrilla forces 'are on the brink of collapse,' said Brig. Gen. Medel Aguilar, deputy commander of the military's Civil Relations Service.
Peace talks brokered by Norway collapsed under previous President Rodrigo Duterte after both sides accused the other of continuing deadly attacks despite the negotiations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
a day ago
- Al Arabiya
Houthis say they hold 10 crew from Greek-operated ship they sank off Yemen
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday they had rescued 10 seafarers from the Greek-operated cargo ship Eternity C, which they attacked and sank in the Red Sea earlier this month. The Liberia-flagged Eternity C was the second ship to sink off Yemen this month after repeated attacks by Houthi militants with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades. Another Greek-operated vessel, the Magic Seas, had gone down days earlier. The Philippine government confirmed on Tuesday nine of the rescued seafarers were Filipinos. . Migrant workers minister Hans Cacdac said the sailors were in 'good physical condition' based on accounts from their families, and that the government was working to secure their release and safe return. The strikes on the two vessels marked a revival of attacks on shipping by the Houthis, who hit more than 100 ships between November 2023 and December 2024 in what they said was a show of solidarity with the Palestinians in the war in Gaza. The Eternity C crew and three armed guards were forced to abandon the ship following the attacks. Ten people were rescued by a privately-led mission, while five more are feared dead mainly due to the attacks. A further 10 people were believed to be held by Houthis, maritime security sources had told Reuters. On Monday, the Houthis group released a six-minute video showing pictures of the 10 seafarers with some of them contacting their families. They also showed testimonies saying that the crew members were not aware of a maritime ban by Houthis against vessels sailing to Israeli ports. They said the vessel was heading to Israel's Eilat Port to load fertilizers. Reuters could not independently verify the footage. In what they called phase four of their military operations, the Houthis said on Sunday they would target any ships belonging to companies that do business with Israeli ports, regardless of their nationalities. Following the recent attacks, Greece said it would deploy a salvage vessel in the Red Sea to assist in maritime accidents and protect seafarers and global shipping.
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
Philippines to ‘seek help' securing release of Houthi-held sailors
MANILA: The Philippines said Tuesday it would ask 'friendly countries' to help secure the release of nine Filipino sailors being held by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The Iran-backed Houthis released footage on Monday of crew members missing after attacks on the Eternity C and Magic Seas cargo ships, claiming in an accompanying statement to have 'rescued' the mariners. Last week, Human Rights Watch said the rebels were unlawfully detaining the crew and that their attacks on shipping amounted to war crimes. The United States has accused the Houthis of kidnapping. Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega confirmed the Houthis were holding nine Filipino seafarers. 'I do not want to use the term hostage. At least we know they are alive,' he said. 'We're not going to talk directly with the Houthis. We're going to seek help from friendly countries,' he added. The European Union's Operation Aspides naval task force said that 15 of the 25 people onboard the Eternity C were still missing – with four presumed dead. The Philippines Department of Migrant Workers, which has overseen efforts to bring the survivors home, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Houthis sank the Magic Seas and Eternity C in separate Red Sea attacks this month, after a temporary hiatus in their campaign against maritime traffic. The Houthis launched attacks on ships in the trade route soon after the start of the Gaza war, claiming solidarity with Palestinians. The sinking of the Magic Seas was their first attack since late last year, with the Eternity C facing a similar fate soon after. In its statement, the Houthis said they rescued 11 crew members, including two injured, and also recovered a body from aboard the ship before it sank. The video appeared to show the moment the mostly Filipino crew were pulled from the sea wearing life jackets. A man the Houthis said was an electrician was shown lying in bed and speaking in English. Aspides had said a Russian electrician onboard the ship had lost his leg. De Vega said one of the nine Filipinos had suffered an unspecified injury, and that one of the non-Filipino personnel was also injured. Two weeks ago, eight other Filipino crew members who survived the Eternity C attack were flown back to the Philippines. All 17 Filipino seafarers from the Magic Seas have likewise been flown home. Previously, the rebels held the mostly Filipino crew of the Galaxy Leader merchant ship for more than a year, before releasing them in January. Filipino sailors make up as much as 30 percent of the world's commercial shipping force. The nearly $7 billion they sent home in 2023 accounted for about a fifth of the remittances to the archipelago nation.
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Al Arabiya
Indian army kills three suspected rebels in contested Kashmir
Indian security forces killed three suspected armed rebels in Indian-administered Kashmir on Monday during a clash in a wildlife reserve, the army said. The incident occurred in the mountains of Dachigam, around 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the disputed region's main city of Srinagar. 'Three terrorists have been neutralized in an intense firefight,' the Indian army said in a statement on social media. 'Operation continues,' it added. Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947, and the neighbors -- which both claim the region in full -- have fought two wars over its control. The incident took place near the major Hindu shrine of Amarnath, to which more than 350,000 people from across India have travelled as part of an ongoing pilgrimage. The army did not immediately identify those killed, but a police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity that they were all 'foreigners.' Rebel groups have waged an insurgency against Indian rule since 1989, demanding Kashmir's independence or its merger with Pakistan. The clash comes more than three months after gunmen attacked tourists in Pahalgam, a popular resort town in the restive territory, killing 26 people, mostly Hindus. Security forces have been hunting for the attackers but they remain at large. India accused Pakistan of backing the attackers, a charge Islamabad denied, sparking an intense four-day conflict between the nuclear-armed rivals in May that killed more than 70 people on both sides. Clashes between rebels and government forces have drastically reduced during the last five years but many local militants have been killed since the Pahalgam attack.
