Manila: At least three members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in a firefight with government forces in the mountains of Pange village in Jaro, Leyte, early Monday, the Philippine Army reported.

According to Philippines News Agency, Brig. Gen. Pompeyo Jason Almagro, commander of the Philippine Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade, confirmed that those slain were a squad leader and two members of the squad’s medical unit. The rebels reportedly established a temporary encampment in the area to extort money from local farmers.

Troops recovered two caliber .45 pistols at the encounter site and are continuing to search the area for additional firearms believed to have been abandoned by fleeing rebels. The clash erupted shortly after 6 a.m. when soldiers from the Philippine Army’s 93rd Infantry Battalion launched a focused military operation in response to reports of armed men extorting from farmers and charcoal makers in the area.

‘As the soldiers approached the vicinity, the group of six armed men opened fire, which prompted the troops to retaliate,’ Almagro told the Philippine News Agency in a phone interview. The rebels involved in the firefight were identified as members of Squad 2 of the NPA Island Committee Levox under the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee.

Almagro noted that the loss of three members leaves the squad with only three remaining fighters. ‘The death of these three members is a major setback for the NPA since they are already weakened and struggling to recruit new members,’ he added. Another NPA squad operating in Leyte Island, composed of 12 members, is believed to be hiding in the mountains of Southern Leyte.

The 802nd Infantry Brigade’s area of responsibility covers the provinces of Leyte and Biliran, as well as the southern parts of Samar and Eastern Samar.