A band of New People's Army (NPA) rebels abducted a town mayor in Surigao del Sur, then stormed the local police station and took away a large cache of firearms on Sunday afternoon, the Philippine military said on Monday.

Tristan Kison, chief of the Armed Forces public information office, said Mayor Roberto Luna of Lingig town in Surigao del Sur, south Philippines was snatched by more or less 50 rebels from his residence in the same town.

Kison did not give other details of Luna's abduction but said the rebels, who were clad in military uniforms and on board at least three passenger vans, used the mayor and his bodyguards as " decoys" in entering the police station.

"The rebels took 11 M16 automatic rifles and an undetermined number of short firearms from the police station," Kison revealed.

Reports said the mayor, his bodyguards, and the six policemen were left unharmed.

Peace talks between the government and NPA rebels broke down in August 2004 after the insurgents protested their inclusion in the United States' and European Union's lists of terrorist organizations.

Source: Xinhua