NPA guerrillas kill militiaman, briefly hold Philippine villagers, military says

TABUK (AP) - Communist guerrillas attacked a pro-government militia outpost in Kalinga province, killing a militiaman and briefly holding several villagers as they were being chased by troops, an army general said Sunday.

About 70 New People's Army guerrillas opened fire on the militia outpost near Pinukpuk township in Kalinga province, sparking a three-hour clash Saturday that killed a militiaman and wounded or killed an undetermined number of rebels, Maj. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang said.

A soldier at the outpost was wounded during the clash, he said.

As army troops from a nearby camp approached to reinforce the beleaguered militiamen, the guerrillas took a number of villagers with them in an apparent attempt to prevent the government forces from firing at the rebels, Maclang told reporters.

They released the villagers, however, when they managed to evade army soldiers, who were backed by a helicopter gunship, he said.