Manila - An Indian couple and their nine-year-old daughter were killed by unidentified gunmen inside their rented home in an eastern Philippine province, a police report said Thursday.

The report said three suspects armed with pistols and a hand grenade barged into the house of the victims in Canaman town in Camarines Sur province, 270 kilometres south-east of Manila, on Thursday.

The victims' housemaid told investigators the suspects ransacked the house and were allegedly searching for her employer's handgun and illegal drugs.

She said one of the suspects punched her in the face and abdomen, rendering her unconscious. When she regained consciousness, she discovered the bodies of her employers inside the bathroom. (dpa)