A suspected member of the New People's Army (NPA) was killed in an encounter with soldiers in Baleno town in Masbate province Monday morning.

Captain Randy Llunar, public affairs officer of Army's 9th Infantry Division, said members of the 21st and the 22nd Infantry Batallions were conducting combat operations when they encountered 15 NPAs in Barangay (village) Gangao at about 5:40 a.m.

An unidentified rebel was killed in the firefight and an M16 assault rifle was recovered from the clash site, the military said.