Thursday, October 04, 2007
Communist rebels raid Australian mining firm, torch vehicles (5:49 p.m.)
MANILA -- Communist rebels raided an Australian mining company in the central Philippines, torching heavy equipment and vehicles and stripping security guards of cell phones and weapons, the military said Thursday.
Wednesday's attack on the ElDore Mining Corp. in Labo township in Camarines Norte province southeast of Manila may have been intended to extort money from the company, said Major Randolf Cabangbang, spokesman for the military's Southern Luzon Command.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The company has been exploring for gold in the area for about a year, said its representative, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press. He said they were unaware of any demand from the New People's Army (NPA) rebels in the area, about 210 kilometers (131 miles) southeast of Manila.
"Up to now we are still facing a blank wall on what their motives are," he said.
The military said at least 40 guerrillas were involved in the raid. (AP)
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