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Another NPA attack on Philippines gold mining company

Some 50 armed rebels from the Communist New Peoples Army are reported to have attacked The Apex Mining Co.s gold operations in the Compostela Valley in the Philippines, disarming guards and setting fire to equipment. Apex is part-owned by Crew Gold.

Posted: Friday , 07 Mar 2008

MANILA (Reuters) -

Suspected communist rebels attacked a gold mine in the Philippines part-owned by Oslo-listed Crew Gold Corp (CRU.OL) and set fire to equipment, police said on Friday.

At least 50 armed men, believed to be from the communist New People's Army (NPA) stormed the Apex Mines Company (APX.PS) (APXB.PS) site in the Compostela Valley, a famous gold-rush area in the south, on Thursday, Senior Inspector Adolfo Eyan said.

They disarmed the mine's security guards and set fire to equipment. The rebels also seized several rifles, Eyan said.

Apex is part-owned by Crew Gold Corp.

The NPA, waging one of the world's longest-running communist insurgencies, is opposed to foreign and local corporations mining Philippine sites and often attacks their operations.

Last month, two security guards were killed in an attack on a gold processing plant also in the Compostela Valley.

Suspected NPA rebels attacked a mine majority-owned by the world's fifth-biggest miner London-listed Xstrata Plc (XTA.L), setting fire to buildings, elsewhere in the south in January. (Reporting by Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by David Fogarty)

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