Four people killed in fighting in eastern Philippines

Two communist rebels and two civilians were killed ina clash between government troops and communist rebels in the eastern Philippines, an army spokesman said Monday. Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres said the fighting erupted late Sunday when patrolling troops encountered communist rebels in Villaba town in Leyte province, 630 kilometres south-east of Manila.

Torres said the civilian fatalities were the wife and 11-year-old son of one of the slain rebels, who were inside the house with the other guerrillas when the fighting erupted.

Torres said there were no casualties on the government side and troops have recovered three assault rifles, a rifle grenade and assorted ammunition left behind by the fleeing rebels.

Communist rebel leaders rejected last week a proposal by the armed forces' chief for a three-year ceasefire as a precondition for the resumption of stalled peace talks.

The peace negotiations have been suspended since August 2004 after the guerrillas demanded that the Philippine government take steps to remove them from terrorist blacklists of the United States, the European Union and other countries.

Communist rebels have been fighting the Philippine government since the late 1960s, making the movement one of the longest-running leftist insurgencies in Asia.