Cop hurt in gunbattle

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — A policeman suffered minor injuries after a shootout with suspected New People’s Army rebels at 1 a.m. yesterday in Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental.

Soldiers of the 605th Regional Mobile Force Battalion responded to reports of the presence of NPA rebels at Barangay Igmaya-an, which triggered a five-minute gunfight.

Initial reports from the Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade showed that two or three NPA rebels were occupying an outpost.

Police Officer 3 Shaun Francis Nelmida was rushed to an unnamed hospital for treatment.