KIEV, May 13 -- Anti-government insurgents attacked trucks carrying Ukrainian troops in eastern Donetsk region on Tuesday, killing at least six servicemen and injuring eight others, the press service of the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

According to the statement, the incident occurred around 1:00 p.m. local time (1000 GMT) 20 kilometers north of the embattled Kramatorsk town, when a group of 30 rebels opened fire from small arms and grenade launchers against Ukrainian soldiers.

Following the attack, several vehicles of the Ukrainian army were torched, the statement said.

Those injured servicemen were sent to local hospitals with various degrees of injuries and one of them was in critical condition, it said.