TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Philippine security forces engaged in gun battle with communist rebels of the New People’s Army (NPA) in multiple locations in the southern Philippines this week amid ongoing peace negotiations with the government, which began in November after a six-year hiatus.
Over Wednesday (Feb 21) and Thursday (Feb. 22), three shootouts in the Negros Occidental Province resulted in the death of three rebels, with four Filipino army soldiers being injured. On Friday (Feb. 23), an early morning gun battle took place on the island of Bohol, resulting in the death of five NPA fighters and one local policeman, reported the Inquirer.
Sporadic gun fights have been occurring in locations throughout the central and southern Philippines since the start of January, including Iloilo, Batangas, and Rizal Provinces. At least 20 NPA fighters have reportedly killed so far this year.
The violence continues despite ongoing talks to reach a peace agreement with the central government, and claims from Manila about the reduced military capability of the NPA. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. claimed in December that there were no more active NPA bases in the country, per SCMP.
In January, the chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Romeo Brawner, clarified that the NPA still has approximately 11 functioning bases or camps, which although weakened in recent years, are still active.
Despite ongoing violence, the Marcos government is standing by a pledge that the NPA willbe dismantled and completely wiped out by the end of 2024. In the meantime, negotiations with the rebels urging them to disarm as well as sporadic battles with holdouts are expected to continue over the coming months.
The NPA was established in March 1969. Over the past 60 years an estimated 60,000 people have died in the conflict.
The NPA reached the height of its strength in the mid-1970s, when there were at least 60,000 armed fighters across the country. Despite its decline, the NPA has continued to support other insurgencies and engaged in regular actions throughout the decades.
Today, despite supporters claiming a resurgence in recent years, the remaining NPA forces are estimated to be around 1,500 fighters, per reports.