The Philippine New People's Army (NPA) rebels raided a provincial jail in Batangas about 100 kilometers south of Manila Saturday evening, taking away nine political prisoners and one common criminal, said police on Sunday.

Fifteen NPA rebels, disguised as police and riding on two vans,took part in the raid at about 20:00 local time at the Batangas provincial jail in Batangas City. They also took away a number of arms from the police guarding the prison.

The NPA has intensified its attacks on military and police targets amid political instability haunting the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

More than 1,800 NPA members were killed in 2005 in its guerrilla war with government forces, which also suffered hundreds of casualties in the clashes with the left-wing rebels, whose number is estimated at 8,000, according to military statistics.

Source: Xinhua