( dpa )- Four communist rebels were killed and one government soldier was wounded in a clash in an eastern Philippine province, an army commander said Sunday.
Army Major General Jeffrey Sodusta said soldiers were on patrol in Pandan town in Catanduanes province, 360 kilometres south-east of Manila, when they encountered the guerrillas on Friday.
"The firefight lasted for 30 minutes, killing four rebels," Sodusta said.
Troops recovered a handgun and three bags containing subversive documents and personal belongings of the guerrillas, he added.
Communist rebels have been fighting the Philippine government since the late 1960s, making the movement one of the longest-running leftist insurgencies in Asia.