Three government troops were killed and four others were injured in an attack by leftist rebels in the western Philippine province of Occidental Mindoro on Friday, a military official said.
Arnold Gasalatan, public affairs officer of the army's 2nd Infantry Division, said about 50 New People's Army (NPA) rebels launched the attack on the Paluan police station at around 3 p.m. Policemen manning the station promptly fought it out with the rebels as troops from the Army's 76th Infantry Battalion responded.
After a one-hour firefight, Gasalatan said the rebels withdrew with undetermined number of casualties. However, the fighting claimed the lives of the two policemen and a soldier and wounded four other policemen. The rebels also seized the town mayor, Williard Sanchez, and his administrative officer whose name was not immediately known.
He said troops were deployed to conduct pursuit operations against the fleeing rebels.
The NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, was formed on March 29, 1969. Latest military estimates placed the NPA's strength at more than 4,000.