Fierce fighting erupted between government troops and communist guerrillas in the southern Philippines, killing nine rebels, officials said on Thursday.Soldiers, acting on a tip from residents, attacked the New People’s Army rebels as they were about to go to sleep at their hideout in Davao del Norte province, said Lt. Col. Daniel Lucero, spokesman for the military.The military recovered nine bodies after the clash and six firearms, including an M60 machinegun, Lucero said.Lucero said the rebels were suspected of burning passenger buses and extortion during election in May.“We have been hunting down this group for some time now,” he said. “There is still a pursuit operation.”The attack occurred less than 24 hours after two platoons from the 4th Infantry Battalion encountered an undetermined number of armed rebels in Sitio Lantawan.Lt. Col. Felicisimo Budiongan, spokesman for the 4IB, said it is possible that the same rebels were the ones figured in a clash with government soldiers on Sunday in nearby Sitio Sapang, also in the same village.--AP, Karl Kaufman