MANILA, Philippines — A total of 13 alleged New People’s Army (NPA) members were killed in several encounters from the beginning of the year, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Tuesday.
In a regular press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said that aside from this, a total of 172 Maoist fighters surrendered while 13 others were apprehended from January 1 until February 8.
Also, 79 high-powered and low-powered firearms and 18 improvised explosive devices were recovered from the said period, while 14 NPA encampments were also seized, according to Padilla.
Padilla previously said the NPA vows to eliminate the NPA by the end of 2024.
READ: Padilla: AFP vows to eliminate NPA by end of 2024
As of Dec. 2023, the NPA is now down to about 1,500 fighters, far from its peak of around 25,000 in 1987, according to former AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar.
The Communist Party of the Philippines’ political wing, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, is now exploring the possibility of resuming peace talks with the government.
Established on March 29, 1969, the NPA has been waging the longest-running Maoist insurgency in the world.