Two army engineers were killed in an attack staged Thursday night by the New People's Army rebels in Samar, southern Philippines.
Lt Col. Armand Rico, spokesman of the Army's 8th Infantry Division, said in an interview Friday that the rebels attacked a group of army
engineers while constructing a school building at the village of Binanggaran.
A gunfight ensued between the rebels and government troops and lasted for 20 minutes. Two soldiers - Pfc. Gilbert Q. Dabuet and Pvt Fred A.
Baluyot - were killed.
Rico said 8th ID chief Maj. Gen Arthur Tabaquero "condemns in the strongest possible terms the barbaric acts of NPA bandit groups who attacked a non-combatant army engineers."