One government soldier was killed and two others were injured in a landmine explosion in a southern Philippine town, a military spokesman said Sunday.

Capt. Rosa Ma. Cristina Manuel, spokesperson of the Army's 10th infantry, said in a press release that troops were waylaid by around 30 leftist rebels in Banay-Banay town of Davao Oriental province on Saturday afternoon.

Rebels blasted a military truck using landmines and dodged bullets by holding civilian hostages.

Manuel said the firefight lasted about 20 minutes and the casualties on the rebel side were not immediately clear.

Founded in late 1960s, the New People's Army (NPA) is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Leftists have waged the guerrilla war against the administrations since 1970s.

Now the NPA has around 5,000 guerrilla fighters and the group survived on forcibly collecting "revolutionary fees".

(Xinhua News Agency July 12, 2009)