The Philippine rebel group of the New People's Army (NPA) claimed to launch more attacks on the government troops after reportedly killing 15 persons in the northern province of Leyte, a local radio reported Monday.

NPA spokesman Gregorio Rosal told the radio dzMM that they would increase offensives against the government to hasten the effort to oust President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the order of its political wing, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

"This is the NPA's contribution for the immediate removal of President Arroyo through people power," Rosal told dzMM.

Early Monday morning, 15 persons were killed in an encounter between the NPA and government troops in Palos town, Leyte, including nine rebels and six farmers, the radio said.

In a separate clash on Sunday, a policeman was killed and the other three soldiers were wounded when they conducted a pursuit operations against 50 NPA members in Tiaong municipality, Quezon province.

On Saturday night, the NPA rebels used the landmines to blow up two military trucks in Calinog town, Iloilo, killing nine soldiers.

Army spokesman Maj. Bartolome Bacarro condemned in a statement the landmine attack "is a very unfortunate and this shows the terrorist mind of the NPA."

Bacarro said the attackers even attempted to finish off the wounded soldiers and grab their rifles and ammunition.

The 8,000-strong NPA has been waging a rebellion in the northern mountainous area since 1969 and placed on the US government's list of foreign terrorist organizations.

Peace talks between the government and CPP-NPA was suspended last year after the rebels demanded the government to removed them from the US list of terrorists.

(Xinhua News Agency November 21, 2005)