General Santos City, Philippines  - Two soldiers were killed when a landmine struck a convoy of army vehicles in the southern Philippines, the military said Sunday.

The convoy was returning to camp from a civic mission when the incident occurred Saturday in Maasim town in Sarangani province, 1,125 kilometres south of Manila.

Colonel Edgar De Leon, an army battalion commander, said the explosive was placed on top of a concrete culvert and detonated as the convoy passed.

"The improvised landmine went off as the convoy passed by the boundary of Daliao and Lumatil villages, killing two of my men," he said.

"My men reported that it was a single explosion," he added. "No gunfire followed afterwards."

The military has been pursing Muslim separatist rebels in Maasim since August, but communist guerrillas who have used landmines in the past also operate in the area. (dpa)