11 killed in Luzon clashes

Eleven people, including five soldiers, were killed in two separate clashes yesterday between soldiers and the communist New People's Army (NPA) in central and southern Luzon, the military said.

Four soldiers died when 30 NPA members fired at them at the dock area in Puerto Galera. Puerto Galera is a resort close to the capital Manila and is one of the country's best-known scuba diving spots.

The fatalities included Col. Jovito Palparan, said Major Jose Broso, southern Luzon command (Solcom) spokesman.

"About 30 NPA members fired upon Palparan and his men who were on their way to Villaflor village in Puerto Galera. The soldiers have been going back and forth to the area to facilitate the government's amnesty programme. The NPA waited for them to dock in Dulangan village before they opened fire," said Broso.

The gunfight lasted for an hour as many soldiers managed to board a big pick-up truck where they took shelter.

While fleeing from pursuing soldiers, the rebels set fire to a relay station of Globe Telephone, the country's second largest telephone operator, police chief Colonel Voltaire Calzado said.

He said the twin attacks occurred in mountainous areas, about 18km from the tourist centre.

Additional troops with tanks and armoured personnel carrier were deployed to pursue the attackers, said Major Gen. Roy Quiamco, chief of the southern Luzon command.

The military has placed Mindoro province on the list of areas with intensified anti-insurgency operations. Besides being a magnet for divers, Puerto Galera on Mindoro island, is a haven for Western backpackers and a weekend getaway for wealthier residents of the capital.

Meanwhile, six NPA members and a soldier were killed and four other rebels injured in an encounter in Lumboy Bukid in Puncan village in central Luzon, on November 20, the military said.

A rebel training camp was discovered near the site of the encounter, said the army's 702nd brigade commander Colonel Jovenal Narcise.

Soldiers confiscated three M16 rifles, subversive documents and extortion letters from the site of the clash which was abandoned by the NPA, said Narcise.

Before the clash, the rebels were planning to destroy the Kita Kita Telecommunications relay station and a hydroelectric plan in Pantabangan town, Nueva Ecija, he added.