Manila  - One communist rebel was killed and two were captured in a clash with government troops in a northern Philippine province, a regional military commander said Sunday.

Soldiers were on combat patrol when they encountered the rebels in a remote village in Lubuagan town in the northern province of Kalinga on Friday, said Lieutenant General Rodrigo Maclang.

"One rebel was killed while two others were captured," Maclang said. "No government casualties were reported."

He added that troops recovered a 45-calibre pistol after the firefight.

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)