4 suspected NPAs killed in Masbate clash — Army

Four suspected communist rebels were killed following a clash with government forces in Masbate province early Tuesday afternoon, a military statement said. Around 1 p.m., elements from the 93rd Division Reconnaissance Company engaged about 100 New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Sta. Maria village in Mobo town, said Lt. Col. Anthony Purugganan, commander of the Army's 9th Infantry Battalion. Purugganan said the troops were deployed in the area following information that armed men were plotting to set up improvised explosives there. The firefight lasted for about 15 minutes, with the government forces recovering three rebel firearms in the clash site. There were no reports of government casualties, Purugganan said. — RSJ, GMANews.TV