Philippine communist rebels using land mines have wounded 11 troops and five civilians in the south of the country, military officials said Monday. Army Col. Marcos Norman Flores, Jr, a brigade commander in the area, condemned the attacks as a violation of international humanitarian law. New People's Army guerrillas encountered troops Sunday morning in Davao del Sur province, triggering an hour-long clash. As troops maneuvered, the rebels exploded a land mine, wounding 11 soldiers, a military statement said. It quoted villagers as saying the rebels carried away four dead colleagues. The guerrillas later set off a land mine as three ambulances were heading to evacuate injured troops, wounding five civilian volunteers. The rebellion began in the late 1960s with a ragtag group armed with a few rifles. The movement peaked during the repressive years under dictator Ferdinand Marcos with several thousand full-time guerrillas. Though it remains one of the world's longest-running Marxist insurgencies, the rebel movement has grown considerably weaker in recent years due to battle setbacks, surrenders and factionalism. They remain a national security concern. Talks to end the rebellion have stalled since 2011 due to disagreements between the government and guerrillas over the release of several jailed rebel leaders. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/95736.aspx
