Manila’s Jets, Troops Strike Rebel Areas

Philippine government jets pounded a Communist rebel camp with 75-pound bombs, and ground troops attacked two other rebel strongholds in the fourth day of a major offensive north of Manila, the military said Wednesday.

A military spokesman said the coordinated operation marked the start of “a total war” against New People’s Army guerrillas operating in the northern Philippines.

There were no casualty reports for Monday’s bombing of the guerrilla headquarters in Kalinga-Apayao province or Sunday’s bombing in the same area or for operations against rebel forces in two other provinces.

Gen. Fidel V. Ramos, the armed forces chief, clarified an earlier report from the state-run Philippine News Agency that quoted local military officers as saying “heavy fighting” had erupted in Kalinga-Apayao. He said troops there are still scouring the jungles leading to the bombed area.

He told reporters that the Monday air attack hit a sizeable camp where rebels had directed their operations in the northern Philippines.

Secondary explosions were heard after bombs struck, indicating they hit either ammunition or fuel depots, said Col. Honesto Isleta, Ramos’ spokesman.

The military said an aircraft used for communications when the bombing began on Sunday crash-landed at the U.S. Clark Air Base after it ran out of fuel.

The rebels, meanwhile, scorned claims that the military is winning against the 18-year insurgency. In a newsletter Wednesday, the rebels said their forces have built up their firepower since President Corazon Aquino took office more than a year ago.

It said the rebels have seized “hundreds of high-powered rifles” in battles with government troops during the past year and are now capable of mounting bigger offensives than during the rule of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos.