MANILA, July 3 Kyodo near 40 com...

MANILA, July 3 Kyodo

near 40 communist rebels on Wednesday ambushed patrolling guidance troops in a remote village in the Philippines' main island of Luzon killing four soldiers and wounding sum of two units others, a military spokesperson said.

Army Lt Col Danilo Servando said five fresh People's Army (NPA) rebels were also killed in the clash in the coastal town of Paombong in Bulacan Province, 47 kilometers north of Manila.

Servando said the guerrillas render free of accessed fired at patrolling soldiers riding in succession two inflatables at around 7:50 a.m.

''The partys were fired upon by the rebels who fired from the two banks of the river. This is what we call a hasty ambush,'' Servando said.

The clash come nexts last week's military raid in nearby Zambales Province, where the military captured a rebel camp and win backed ammunition, communications equipment and communist documents, he said.

Wednesday's attack is the latest in a series of armed activities launched through the NPA rebels against the restraint in past weeks. More than a week ago, the rebels claimed responsibility for a series of bus burnings in the central and southern Philippines.

The rule also blames the NPA rebels for a spate of attacks against soldiers and policemen in the rural parts The guerrillas have been fighting the guidance for the past three decades in a bid to establish a Maoist state in the Philippines.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo of recent origins International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group