Seven people were killed when communist insurgents attacked a rural army outpost in the southern Philippines, the military said on Saturday.
Six rebels and a pro-government militiaman were killed while another militiaman was wounded during the five-hour gunbattle on Friday, said the military, adding the attack only ended after they deployed helicopter gunships.
Around 60 fighters of the New People’s Army (NPA) attacked the outpost on the southern island of Mindanao in an effort to capture the base, said military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala.
“Their objective was to overrun the detachment and get the firearms and ammunition for themselves,” he told AFP.
Two MG-520 attack helicopters were sent to drive back the guerrillas, he said.
This is part of an insurgent strategy of using large-scale attacks to capture remote and vulnerable outposts, Zagala said.
