AT least two government soldiers and an equal number of communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels have been confirmed dead, while scores of others were injured following an encounter in a remote barangay in Negros Occidental province.

Capt. Anacito Naz, spokesman of the 302nd Brigade, on Thursday, said that encounter between the Alpha Co. of the Philippine Army and the insurgents happened at about 8 a.m. in Barangay San Agustin in the municipality of Isabela province.

“As of now, based on the latest update relayed to me, there were two casualties on the Army side and four injured. On the side of the NPA, two dead were recovered and an undetermined number of wounded,” Naz added.

As of 11 a.m., he further said that the firefight was still ongoing.

According to Naz, the Army troops were on a routine patrol when they were engaged by a still undetermined number of rebels that instantly left two soldiers dead.

He said that the encounter site was near two NPA camps, which were successfully overran by the soldiers in the course of their engagement.

The bodies of the two rebels, he said, were recovered in those rebel camps.

The Negros provinces, along with the Samar provinces, Davao, Caraga and Bicol Region, are among the remaining rebel-infested areas in the country.

The military said that of the 77 provinces in the country, 24 have already been declared as insurgency-free. They are the provinces of Ifugao, Aklan, Apayao, Kalinga, Nueva Viscaya, Quirino, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Biliran, Cebu, Bohol, Camiguin, Misamis Oriental, South Cotabato, La Union, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Cavite, Marinduque, Romblon, Guimaras, Siquijor and northern and southern Leyte.

The military also claimed that from a peak of 24,430 revolutionary fighters in mid-1980s, the group’s strength has dwindled to 4,043 due to battle losses and surrenders.

It is disputed though by the Communist Party of the Philippines, saying that the NPA’s revolutionary forces were steadily growing in strength and are poised for a big leap in the coming years.

On Wednesday, suspected rebels dressed in military uniforms raided a police station in Roxas, Palawan province, killing one police officer injured another. They also carted away the policemen’s firearms.