Soldier killed in ambush in ZamboSur

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - An Philippine Army soldier was killed in an ambush by the leftist New People's Army (NPA) in Zamboanga del Sur yesterday, local police said today.

Police Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca, chief of public information office of the Western Mindanao Regional Police Office, said a group of government troops were waylaid by about 15 fully- armed NPA rebels at Datagan village in Guipos town Friday morning.

The rebels fled after a brief firefight, Huesca said, but the leader of the Army troops, Sergeant Danilo Saavedra, was killed in the incident. The pursuit operations have been ongoing against the insurgents, he added.

The NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, was formed on March 29, 1969. Latest military estimates placed the NPA's strength at more than 4,000.