Five people were killed Friday by unidentified gunmen who ambushed their truck in northern Negros Oriental, central Philippines, reported the official Philippine News Agency.

The report quoted police as saying the dead included a village chief and four civilians, and an unknown number of others were wounded in the attack, which took place in a poor remote area.

The motive of the ambush and the identity of the attackers were not immediately known and police and military were conducting "hot pursuit operations", said the report.

The report said the town where the attack took place is near "the province's critical insurgency-affected areas", in reference to areas where the anti-government force New People's Army is active.

Source: Xinhua