MANILA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine military said on Tuesday that the troops had killed four suspected rebels in separate clashes in central Philippines on Monday.
The military said two New People's Army (NPA) rebels were killed and a soldier was wounded in a clash in Occidental Mindoro province on Monday. Two more NPA rebels were killed in another clash in Masbate province on the same day.
The military said soldiers recovered firearms, including two M16 assault rifles, an antipersonnel mine, and a rifle grenade.
The NPA rebels have been fighting the government since 1969. They concentrate their attacks on rural areas and small-scale skirmishes with the military.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte restarted talks to end the decades-old insurgency when he came to power in 2016, but the negotiations faltered.
The NPA is estimated to have 3,000 members, significantly lower than its peak strength in the 1980s. ■