Manila  - Three communist rebels were captured in a clash with government troops in a northern Philippine province, a military spokesman said Tuesday.

The fighting erupted late Monday when Army troopers encountered about 40 rebels in General Tinio town in Nueva Ecija province, 120 kilometres north of Manila, Lieutenant Colonel Romeo Brawner said.

An Army officer was wounded in the fighting but was immediately extracted and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, Brawner said.

The three captured guerrillas were brought to a nearby Army headquarters for interrogation, he added.

Troops were also able to recover three assault rifles, one handheld radio transceiver and subversive documents left behind by the fleeing rebels.

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