Bacolod: Philippine police said Sunday 14 suspected communist rebels were killed after they opened fire during raids in a central province but rights groups countered the men were farmers and the latest victims of extrajudicial killings.
Dozens of police, backed by army troops, were to conduct court-authorised home searches Saturday in a city and two towns in Negros Oriental province when the 14 men violently fought back.
A police officer was shot in the leg and wounded in the anti-insurgency and criminality sweep that also led to the arrests of 15 other suspects, police officials said.
Regional police chief Debold Sinas said six suspected insurgents and rebel supporters escaped.
Law enforcers seized three shotguns, 25 pistols, a homemade rifle, three grenades, ammunition and rebel documents in the simultaneous raids in Canlaon city, where eight suspects were gunned down.
“There were 14 suspects that engaged the raiders in a shootout during the implementation of the search warrants resulting to their deaths,” Sinas said. (AP)
