[Gulf Today] Five militants, including a woman, of a breakaway group from the communist New People's Army were killed during a raid by Philippine security forces on their hideout in Pampanga province in Central Luzon.Provincial police chief Rodolfo Recomono said another militant was wounded and captured during the raid conducted by a combined team of soldiers and policemen in a village in the town of Mexico, Pampanga at dawn on Tuesday.
Recomono said the casualties were from the Rebolusyunaryung Hukbong Bayan (HRB or the Revolutionary Forces of the Nation) that broke away from the NPA in the early 1990's. He said the militants ignored demands for them to surrender and fired at them instead, starting a firefight.
Recomono said, "When the smoke of the battle cleared, our security forces discovered the bodies of the slain rebels as well as the wounded who was immediately rushed to the nearest hospital."
The HRB militants operated mainly in Central Luzon and were allegedly engaged in armed robberies, drug trafficking and carjacking.