Three communist rebels were killed Thursday in a clash with government troops near the Philippine capital, army spokesmen said, according to dpa. Three more guerrillas were captured in the fighting in a remote village in Taysan town in Batangas province, 75 kilometres south of Manila, Major Ronald Jess Alcudia said. A soldier was wounded in the fighting and was airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment, Alcudia said. Lieutenant Colonel Noel Detoyato said the firefight erupted before dawn when soldiers raided a suspected guerrilla hideout in the village of Mayabayabas. "Civilians reported their [the rebels'] presence to the troops, prompting the military operation," he said. Detoyato said the guerrillas were using the hideout as a base of operation for extortion activities. Troops recovered five assault rifles, one grenade launcher, three pistols, two rifle grenades and one two-way radio left behind by the fleeing rebels. Communist rebels have been fighting the government since the late 1960s, making the movement one of the longest-running leftist insurgencies in Asia.
