Philippine president set two year deadline for rebel defeat
Updated
The Philippine military is confident of defeating communist rebels in two years, a deadline set by Philippine President Gloria Arroyo.
This is despite a weekend attack by the rebels in the southern Philippines which resulted in gunbattles, killing nine rebels and two policemen.
Our reporter in Manila, Shirley Escalante, says four policemen were also injured and five rebels were captured.
Officials say the military is on track to reduce the number of communist rebels to a mere 30 per cent of their current strength of 5,000 fighters by 2010.
The rebels have stepped up attacks recently and security forces consider them the main security threat in the country, despite the presence of muslim separatists in the south.
Government forces are pursuing communist rebels who attacked two police stations and government offices in the southern Surigao del Norte province over the weekend.
The rebels also bombed a telecommunications tower, and ransacked the police stations and government offices, before fleeing with firearms and communications equipment.
Security forces caught up with them and engaged them in a gunbattle.
