Armed guerrillas raided a Dole banana plantation in the southern Philippines on Friday destroying US$250,000-worth of fruit, reports mb.com.ph.
The New People's Army (NPA) rebels destroyed 22,000 fully-grown banana plants at a Dole Food Company plantation in Surigoa del Sur province, but did not hurt any plantation personnel, the publication said.
The raiders left the area after sensing soldiers were about to arrive.
The military launched a pursuit operation in the mountains of Tago, mb.com.ph said.
The 4,000-strong NPA, the armed wing of the Philippines Communist Party, has been waging a guerrilla campaign in the countryside for 40 years, it said.
