[Rappler] At least three communist militants and one auxiliary force of the military were killed in a gun battle that lasted for hours in a Cotabato town on January 22.Military spokesperson Ezra Balagtey said the fighting between government troops and members of the Far Southern Mindanao Region of the New People’s Army erupted when the militants attacked a military-supervised patrol base in Luayon in Makilala town, Cotabato.
Balagtey said the “failed” attack began after midnight on Monday, and ended at 5am "when the NPA terrorists scampered toward a different direction."
Military spokesman Lea Canseran said some 20 militants attacked the base.