4 leftist rebels slain in Compostela clashes: military

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Xinhua) - At least four leftist rebels have been killed in a series of recent clashes with government troops in the southern Philippines, the military said today.

Three New People's Army (NPA) rebels, two of them women, died in a clash with soldiers at Teresa village in Maco, a town in Mindanao's Compostela Valley province on Wednesday, said Captain Alberto Caber, spokesperson for the Philippine military's Eastern Mindanao Command.

"Residents in the area reported two of the three NPA rebels who died in Teresa were women. Fleeing rebels dragged their dying comrades as they fled and apparently concealed them in the forests, " Caber said in a statement, adding troops were now scouring the area to locate the alleged dead insurgents and pursue those who had fled.

On Friday, another clash erupted between soldiers and NPA rebels at nearby Malamodao village, also in Maco. One slain NPA rebel was found as well as a hand grenade, magazines for M-16 rifles and backpacks, he said.

The military said that joint Army-police elements are now still on pursuit operations in the above areas at the local civilians' request. It also encouraged local residents to continue to report to the authorities the NPA presence and extortion activities happening in their respective communities.