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
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Trump is ‘engaging in deterrence' amid increased Russia tension: Former NSC chief of staff
Former NSC Chief of Staff Fred Fleitz discusses recent statements from a Russian official that prompted President Donald Trump to reposition two nuclear submarines on 'Fox News Live.'
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
The Situation In Gaza Requires Urgent International Attention
On August 1, 2025, the United Nations reported that despite the July 27th announcement of daily military pauses in western Gaza 'to improve humanitarian responses,' Israeli forces continued attacks along food convoy routes and near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid sites. According to the UN, between July 30 and 31 alone, 105 Palestinians were killed and at least 680 more injured along the convoy routes in the Zikim area in North Gaza, southern Khan Younis, and in the vicinity of the GHF sites in Middle Gaza and Rafah. As reported, in total, since May 27, at least 1,373 Palestinians have been killed while seeking food; 859 in the vicinity of the GHF sites and 514 along the routes of food convoys. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported that most of the killings were committed by the Israeli military: '[OHCHR] has no information that these Palestinians were directly participating in hostilities or posed any threat to Israeli security forces or other individuals. Each person killed or injured had been desperately struggling for survival, not only for themselves, but also for their families and dependents.' Intentionally directing attacks against civilians not taking direct part in hostilities and intentionally using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare by depriving them of objects indispensable to their survival, including willfully impeding relief supplies, are war crimes. The update from the United Nations is only one of the plethora of reporting on the situation in Gaza, situation that cannot be ignored, and not without destroying the remnant of humanity of the international community. On July 29, 2025, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) platform identified that two out of three famine thresholds have been reached in Gaza: plummeting food consumption and acute malnutrition. Famine has not been declared yet. This is as the third criteria, deaths from malnutrition, cannot be demonstrated. However, as reported by the UN, there is mounting evidence that 'widespread starvation, malnutrition and disease' are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths, which is the third famine indicator. When clarifying the findings, the IPC stressed that 'one in three people is now going without food for days at a time. (…) Hospitals are also overwhelmed and have treated more than 20,000 children for acute malnutrition since April. At least 16 children under five have died from hunger-related causes since mid-July.' In May 2025, IPC issued an alert projecting catastrophic levels of food insecurity for the entire population by September. According to the platform's experts, at least half a million people are expected to be in IPC Phase 5 – catastrophe – which is marked by starvation, destitution and death. Also on July 29, 2025, several UN experts published a joint statement expressing alarm at Israel's deliberate withholding of access to safe drinking water from Palestinians in Gaza: 'Cutting off water and food is a silent but lethal bomb that kills mostly children and babies. The sight of infants dying in their mothers' arms is unbearable. (…) This catastrophe was not only predictable; it was predicted.' The UN experts further stressed that 'these intentional, widespread and systematic attacks against Palestinians are a deliberate infliction of conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of a population – another act of genocide.' The dire situation is driven by nearly two years of conflict sparked by Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel in October 2023 that left some 1,250 dead and around 250 people taken ongoing conflict resulted in thousands killed. Some 70% of Gaza's infrastructure has been destroyed. Around 90% of Gaza's population have been displaced. Safe areas have been reduced to less than 12% of the entire territory. The situation in Gaza requires urgent attention and response from the international community - to prevent further civilian suffering and death. While some steps have been taken to provide humanitarians assistance, as it stands, the steps appear to be too little and too late to address the current and ever-growing needs of the population. The international community must come together to ensure that the concerning predictions of famine and death do not materialize.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Israel forms c'mttee to evaluate mental health support for veterans
There have been several IDF soldiers and reservists in recent weeks who have taken their own lives due to trauma from the military and from October 7. Trigger warning: This article discusses sensitive topics such as suicide. Israeli defense leadership has ordered the establishment of a committee to examine the support that has been provided to discharged soldiers and reservists not in active duty who have taken their own lives as a result of the trauma experienced during their military service, the IDF said on Thursday. Brig-Gen. David (Dado) Bar Kalifa, head of the IDF's Human Resources Directorate, launched the initiative in coordination with Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir. The committee will be led by Maj.-Gen. (res.) Moti Almoz, former head of the Human Resources Directorate. It will include medical and mental health professionals from the military, legal experts, Casualty Affairs Unit officers, Defense Ministry representatives, and representatives from the Commemorative and Heritage Families Division. The panel will examine systemic, ethical, and national-level social issues faced by discharged IDF personnel, including recognition and support for these individuals, as well as legal aspects related to their official recognition. The goal is a thorough, responsible, sensitive, and equitable review of the support given to soldiers during and after their service. 'The IDF has a moral and national responsibility to stand by those who paid a heavy price during their military service, even after they remove the uniform,' Brig.-Gen. Kalifa said. 'The establishment of this committee is intended to ensure that the State of Israel and the IDF provide an appropriate, sensitive, and fair response to every soldier at every stage of their life.' Mental health crisis among military personnel in Israel There have been several IDF soldiers and reservists in recent weeks who have taken their own lives due to trauma from the military and from October 7. Reservist Roi Wasserstein, who had served over 300 days in the 401st Armored Brigade, committed suicide on Wednesday. His family has been advocating for him to be recognized as a fallen soldier, although he was not on reserve duty at the time of his suicide. IDF reservist Ariel Taman was found lifeless in his home last Sunday night in Ofakim in southern Israel. An IDF soldier from the Nahal Brigade took his own life on a military base in the Golan Heights in mid-July, and Daniel Edri took his own life in early July in the Biriya forest near Safed. In mid-May, St.-Sgt.-Maj. Igor Pivnev, a policeman praised for his bravery during the October 7 Hamas attacks, also took his own life. Solve the daily Crossword
