Five soldiers were killed in a firefight with rebels in the northern Philippines, dpa quoted army officials said Thursday. The clash erupted Wednesday when troops encountered 20 guerrillas in Bontoc town in Mountain Province, 285 kilometers north of Manila, said Colonel Remegio De Vera, an army brigade commander. De Vera said one soldier was also wounded in the firefight. Captain Adonis Banez, a spokesman for the brigade, said the soldiers responded to complaints by residents that armed rebels were in the area. "The rebels were in an elevated portion and opened fire at the soldiers, triggering the firefight," he said.
