A municipal police station in Northern Samar was attacked by 50 alleged communist rebels early Thursday but policemen repulsed the onslaught after a nearly three-hour battle.

The Eastern Visayas regional police office said the armed men arrived at 3:44 am in a forward truck where a number of them, mostly female, had been dressed in military fatigues and used yellow strips of cloths as head band or countersign.

In a radio interview, Police Lieutenant Colonel Reynaldo Dela Cruz, Northern Samar provincial director said: “So far our personnel were able to secure the station and we scored three body counts from the enemy and one was captured.”

He said two policemen sustained minor injuries due to splinter from grenade.

Philippine National Police ( PNP) spokesperson, Police Colonel Bernard Banac, in a separate radio interview, said :“They really tried to occupy the police station.”

The PNP said there is a possibility this attack is connected with the 50th anniversary of the NPA on Friday.

“This is always part of their activities during their anniversary and we are always ready. Our police stations nationwide are ready for this kind of attack,” said Banac.

The policemen '' on instinct'' went to the second floor of the police station where they returned fire, said Police General Oscar Albayalde, PNP chief, in an ambush interview later in the day in Ilocos Sur.

“Of course, in any firefight you always occupy the high ground,” he said.

Albayalde commended the Victoria Municipal police station in Northern Samar for bravery.

“We would like to commend Victoria Municipal Police Station in Samar as they show bravery when they were harassed by more or less 50 NPA rebels but they were able to repulse the attack,” Albayalde said.

“In fact, they were able to kill three rebels and arrested one (rebel), that is very commendable. Initial report is there are two wounded on the side of the PNP although it’s only minor,” he added.

Albayalde said authorities were able to recover an M-16 machine gun. Ella Dionisio/DMS