Manila - Three communist rebels were killed in a clash with government troops in the northern Philippines on the weekend, an army spokesman said Wednesday.

The firefight erupted in Salcedo town in Ilocos Sur province, 300 kilometres north of Manila, while troops were on patrol, Lieutenant Colonel Romeo Brawner said.

Brawner said soldiers also recovered two M14 rifles, three M16 rifles and subversive documents after the clash.

No troops were hurt in the fighting, he added.

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)