10 Rebels, 18 Soldiers Killed in Gun Battle
Communist guerrillas opened fire on a truckload of soldiers in a remote southern Philippine town, starting a gun battle that killed 18 soldiers and 10 rebels, army officials said.
Six other soldiers were wounded and one was missing after the three-hour shootout Saturday in Cateel, in Davao Oriental province, Lt. Col. Jose Mabanta said. Davao Oriental is about 600 miles southeast of Manila.
Mabanta called the ambush a “major accomplishment” for the New People’s Army, which has been waging a Marxist rebellion since the late 1960s.
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