Filipino troops kill 16 armed rebels

Manila, Aug 17 (IANS) The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said that its troops killed 16 armed rebels in a military offensive in Eastern Samar province.AFP spokesman Colonel Ramon Zagala said the troops conducted "ground, air, sea operations" against the New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Dolores town on Monday, reports Xinhua news agency."Our troops acted on information received from the community which pointed them to the terrorists' hideout where they manufacture the explosives," Zagala said in a statement.The spokesperson said the troops also seized 19 high-powered firearms from the NPA rebels, adding more details of the clash will be provided later due to "operational security matters".President Rodrigo Duterte restarted talks to end the decades-old insurgency when he came to power in 2016, but the negotiations faltered.The NPA rebels have been fighting the government since 1969. They concentrate their attacks in rural areas and small-scale skirmishes with the military.The NPA's estimated strength is at 3,000, significantly lower than its peak strength in the 1980s.
--IANS ksk/