Manila  - Philippine police said Friday that they arrested a ranking communist rebel allegedly involved in the killing of seven government security forces and informants in the past 10 years.

Delfin Pimentel was arrested Tuesday with his wife, Imelda Estrella Pimentel, in Dingalan town in Aurora province, 210 kilometres north of Manila, Director General Jesus Verzosa said.

Two rifles, a shotgun and three hand grenades were seized from the couple, he added.

Verzosa said Pimentel is an executive committee member of the New People's Army (NPA), the armed wing of the communist party of the Philippines.

"He was involved in five major ambuscades and raids on different army detachments in Aurora and seven liquidations of security forces and former rebels turned government agents," he said.

The victims of assassinations allegedly led by Pimentel included a police officer in 2001, an army corporal in 2002 and a former NPA member who became a government militiaman in 1999.

Communist rebels have been fighting the Philippine government since the late 1960s, making the movement one of the longest-running leftist insurgencies in Asia. (dpa)