ZAMBOANGA CITY: Army troops killed at least 10 communist rebels in fierce clashes on a remote village in Gingoog City in southern Philippines, officials said Wednesday. Officials said troops clashed with New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in the village of Kamanikan near Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte. Troops have been tracking down a huge group of rebels in the province following a series of clashes since Sunday. They have caught up with the rebels on Tuesday, sparking another ferocious battle. Soldiers pursuing the NPA members have recovered at least 10 bodies of slain rebels, as well as assorted weapons, ammunition and improvised explosives. More troops were sent to the area to prevent the fleeing rebels, who broke into several smaller groups, to escape the military offensive. Dozens of rebels were believed to be trapped in the hinterlands of Gingoog, while others managed to cross into Las Nieves. There were no immediate reports of military casualties. On the other side of the restive region, soldiers were also hunting NPA rebels in Zamboanga del Sur, scene of Monday’s clashes between the two groups that left two communists dead in the village of Balonai in Midsalip town.