5 soldiers killed, 2 wounded in Negros clash

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - Five soldiers were killed and two others wounded in a clash this morning with leftist rebels in Negros Occidental, the military said.

The encounter occurred at around 7:40 a.m. local time in Camindangan, Sipalay City, said Captain Leo Christopher Cunanan, public affairs officer of the Army's 303rd Infantry Brigade.

The soldiers were pursuing the rebels who raided the Philex Mining Corp. in the same village when they encountered the members of the New People's Army (NPA).

The government forces were still determining if there were any casualties among the rebels.

Cunanan said that the government forces were still chasing the leftist insurgents.

The NPA, an armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front, has been waging war against the government for over four decades.