MANILA, Philippines - Another clash between government soldiers and communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels occurred Sunday morning in Negros Occidental resulting in the death of 5 rebels and an Army junior officer, the military reported.

Lt. Col. Arnulfo Burgos, Army spokesman, said two platoons from Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion were on a patrol at Sitio Aluyan in Barangay Caduhaan in Cadiz City Sunday mid-morning when they caught up with the undetermined number of rebels.

"They were conducting security patrol when they fighting broke out," said Burgos.

Burgos said that initial reports indicate that the soldiers and the rebels clashed briefly, resulting to the death of the Army lieutenant. The identity of the slain officer was withheld pending notification of his kin.

Burgos said the troops recovered the five bodies of the still-unidentified rebels. Also reported recovered were an M14, an M16 and an M653 rifles.

The clash comes after 11 soldiers including an Army second lieutenant were killed in Mindoro island in an ambush by NPA rebels.