2 rebels, 2 children killed in Philippine clash

The Philippine army says two communist guerrillas and two children were killed in a clash between troops and the rebels in a northeastern province.

The Philippine army says two communist guerrillas and two children were killed in a clash between troops and the rebels in a northeastern province.

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Lt. Col. Epimaco Macasilang says he deployed a platoon of soldiers to check the reported presence of New People's Army rebels on Saturday in a remote village in Labo town in Camarines Norte province.

Macasilang said on Sunday that about 15 guerrillas opened fire from a hut and a nearby hill as the soldiers approached, sparking a gunbattle.

Maj. Angelo Guzman said that after the rebels withdrew, soldiers found the bodies of two guerrillas and two brothers, aged 10 and 7, in the hut.

An army probe is under way to determine who may have shot the boys, believed to be children of one of the rebels.