Two communist rebels were killed Wednesday in a firefight with government troops in the eastern Philippines, an army spokesman said.
The clash erupted at dawn when soldiers encountered about 20 communist guerrillas while on patrol in the village of San Marcos in Catanduanes province, 375 kilometres south-east of Manila, Lieutenant Colonel Romeo Brawner said, reported dpa.
The fighting lasted for almost one hour, resulting in the killing of two communist rebels, Brawner said, adding that no casualty was reported on the army's side.
Brawner said the bodies of the slain guerrillas, two rifles and subversive documents were recovered after the clash.
Communist rebels have been fighting the Philippine government since the late 1960s, making the movement one of the longest-running leftist insurgencies in Asia.