Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur—A female communist rebel was killed during a clash between government troops and members of the New People’s Army Saturday afternoon in Kitcharao town.
Lt. Col. Glen Aynera of the 29th Infantry Battalion said they have yet to identify the slain rebel.
“The NPA group was earlier reported by the residents to be scaring their barangay which forced the community to evacuate to the town proper,” Aynera said.
An AK-47 rifle was recovered from the NPA member, Aynera added.
The skirmish happened even as both the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front struggle to revive the stalled peace negotiations.
But without any form of ceasefire in place, both sides vowed there will be no letup in the offensive operations against each other.
Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to scrap the peace talks following the killing of four police officers in Bansalan.
Duterte’s tough rhetoric—capped by his directive for the military to drop bombs and “flatten the hills” to eliminate the rebels—was followed by backchannel talks in Oslo where government and CPP-NDF negotiators
Both sides are expected to resume formal peace negotiations next month.