Two suspected leftist rebels were killed in a clash with government troops in southern Philippines on Friday, the military said Saturday.

Soldiers also recovered two assault rifles from the slain rebels following a brief fire fight in Carmen town, in Mindanao's Surigao del Sur province, according to Major Christian Uy, spokesperson of the army's 4th Infantry Division.

The encounter happened as soldiers from the army's 36th Infantry Battalion were checking reports about alleged New People' s Army guerrillas conducting extortion activities among residents of Hinapuyan village around 9:15 a.m.

"Five armed leftist guerrillas fired at the troops, unmindful of the civilians at the (hamlet), prompting soldiers to retaliate. The firefight lasted for 10 minutes, after which the rest of the rebels fled," Major Uy said in a statement to Xinhua, adding two bodies of slain NPA insurgents were recovered in the area, as well as an AK-47 and an M-16 rifle, rounds of ammunition, and personal belongings as well as subversive documents.

Uy said Colonel Gregory Cayetano, commander of the 36th IB immediately ordered pursuit operation against the rebels.

The 4, 000-strong NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, is fighting a leftist insurgency in 60 Philippine provinces since 1969. Endi

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