Two soldiers were killed in an attack by communist rebels on a group of tribal leaders in the southern Philippines, an army spokesman said Saturday, dpa reported.
The soldiers were escorting the tribal leaders to a meeting on Friday when they were ambushed on the outskirts of Davao City, 990 kilometres south of Manila.
Captain Emmanuel Garcia said four civilians were also wounded in the attack by about 20 guerrillas.
Garcia said tribal groups believed that one of the tribal leaders, Datu Ruben Labawan, was the target of the attack.
"Labawan, a staunch defender of indigenous peoples' rights, miraculously survived unscathed," he said.
According to the military, communist rebels were targeting tribal leaders for assassinations in a bid to control land occupied by indigenous peoples.
Communist rebels have been fighting the Philippine government since the late 1960s, making the movement one of the longest-running leftist insurgencies in Asia.