The Philippine Army on Thursday discovered a cache of firearms and ammunition buried in a vacant lot in Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro.

Troops from the 2nd Infantry Division's 4th Infantry Battalion found the weapons while conducting security operations in the area, according to Lt. Col. Jeffrex Molina, the division's public affairs chief.

A local resident reported the location of the buried materials.

The Army recovered an M16 rifle, an M14 rifle, an upper receiver of a Garrand rifle, a shotgun, three magazines for an M16 rifle with 136 rounds of ammunition, three magazines for an M14 rifle with 44 rounds of ammunition, and two blasting caps.

The discovery comes less than a week after the Army's 80th Infantry Battalion found a similar cache in General Nakar town, Quezon province.

Molina said the discovery of the arms caches thwarted the possible plans of the communist terrorist group to harass and terrorize innocent communities in the area.

All the recovered materials were brought to the military custody for proper disposition.