Three rebels of the New People's Army (NPA) were killed while two others captured by the Philippine troops following a gunfight at a remote village in the northern province of Cagayan, the military said on Tuesday.

Quoting belated reports reaching the Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Army spokesman Ernesto Torres said that the clash occurred at the village of Gagabutan at around 8:10 a.m. last Saturday.

The killed and arrested NPA guerillas were all residents of Cagayan, Torres said.

Torres said soldiers were conducting "security operation" in the area when they clashed with the 20-man rebel group, ensuing a brief clash.

One Army soldier suffered a slight injury during the clash, while the rebels carried more casualties withdrawing from the scene of encounter, the spokesman added..

The Philippine government has urged the troops to win an all- out war against the NPA guerillas nationwide within two years, with its renewed military appropriation of tens of millions of dollars.

Source: Xinhua