In the Philippines, security forces have killed at least nine suspected leftist rebels in a clash in the southern province of Bukidnon. A military official said the rebels were killed when soldiers today encountered an undetermined number of New People's Army (NPA) while they were on foot patrol in the township of Lantapan. He said the rebels were involved in previous robbery incidents in the region. The NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has been waging a guerrilla campaign in the countryside for four decades.<br/>