Manila  - Four Muslim secessionist rebels were killed Wednesday in a clash with government troops in the southern Philippines, a military report said.

Two soldiers were also wounded in the dispute that erupted when government troops encountered Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels in Datu Dani village in Sarangani province, 1,065 kilometres south of Manila.

The soldiers were conducting combat patrols in the area since the rebels burned down a nearby village hall and school building last week.

Disputes between government troops and MILF rebels have escalated since August after the Supreme Court suspended the signing of a territory deal that would have expanded the existing Muslim autonomous region in the southern island of Mindanao.

More than 200 people have been killed in the clashes and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. (dpa)