NEGROS ISLAND, April 20 (V7N )— Philippine troops launched a major offensive against Maoist guerrillas on Sunday, killing at least 10 members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in a series of clashes near Toboso municipality. Military officials said the death toll could be as high as 19, including local rebel leader Roger Fabillar.  

The operation unfolded in six separate firefights across a remote sugar cane-farming area, triggering a humanitarian crisis as more than 300 residents fled their homes. Many villagers sought refuge in a local elementary school overnight before cautiously returning Monday morning.  

Colonel Louie Dema-ala, military spokesman, credited intelligence from local communities weary of rebel extortion for enabling the strikes. “Residents helped us pinpoint the guerrillas’ location in one of their last remaining active fronts,” he said.  

The NPA, active for 57 years, is considered one of the world’s longest-running communist insurgencies. The military estimates fewer than 2,000 armed members remain nationwide, though Sunday’s fatalities mark one of the deadliest engagements in the region in recent years.  

Local disaster officials said minor skirmishes have occurred in Negros over the past two years, but the scale of Sunday’s clashes was unprecedented. The army continues to monitor remnants of the group as it seeks to dismantle remaining guerrilla fronts in the central Philippines.  

END/WD/RH