The Philippine military claimed Thursday that it has killed seven communist insurgents in a fire fight in the country’s north.
The conflict occurred the day before in the municipality of Pantabangan, when the army engaged roughly 20 New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas, according to Maj. Jimson Masangkay, spokesman for the 7th Infantry Division.
According to a military statement, troops retrieved the bodies of seven insurgents, and there were no injuries among government forces.
The NPA is the military branch of the Communist Party of the Philippines, and it has led one of the world’s longest Maoist insurgencies.
The Philippine military thinks that there are less than 2,000 militants left, and firefights have becoming less common.
Hundreds of communist insurgents have surrendered in recent years in exchange for financial aid and job possibilities, according to the authorities.