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MANILA, Philippines : Eleven Philippine soldiers were killed in an ambush by communist guerrillas on Saturday, a military spokesman said.
The soldiers were on patrol in Mindoro island, south of Manila when they ran into a fortified camp of the communist New People's Army (NPA) guerrilla group, said Colonel Romeo Brawner.
A three-hour gun battle also resulted in the wounding of seven soldiers with "undetermined casualties" on the side of the rebels, he added.
"The troops fought it out literally to the last bullet," Brawner said.
More soldiers backed by helicopter gunships have been dispatched to track down the NPA insurgents, he said.
This was the fiercest fighting involving the communists since nine NPA rebels and one soldier were killed in a raid on a guerilla camp in the southern island of Mindanao in December.
The soldiers were patrolling the area in Mindoro as part of security measures to ensure that candidates in the upcoming May national elections would be able to campaign safely, said Brawner.
The NPA have been demanding extortion payments from candidates in exchange for "permits to campaign" cards. Those who refuse to pay are attacked and sometimes killed.
Earlier this week, suspected communist insurgents shot dead a former policeman running for local office in the May elections after he defied their extortion bid.
The Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the NPA, have waged a campaign to seize power for 40 years. The conflict peaked in the 1980s, when rebel ranks reached 26,000.
The military estimates the NPA's numbers have fallen to just above 3,000 but the guerrillas remain a potent force.
The military said in September that the communist rebellion had claimed more than 3,000 lives since 2001. This included over 500 civilians killed in crossfire. - AFP/ms
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