Manila, Dec 3 (IANS): Five people were killed in a clash between government troops and leftist rebels in southern Philippines Wednesday, the military said.

Four soldiers died when members of the New People's Army (NPA) detonated an improvised explosive device at a village road in Bacnotan, San Fernando town, in Mindanao's Bukidnon province, Xinhua reported citing Vergel Lacambra, spokesperson of the army's 10th Infantry Division.

An insurgent was killed in an ensuing 30-minute gunfight as troops from the army's 68th Infantry Battalion tried to fend off dozens of rebels who set off the explosion at around 5 a.m., Lacambra said.

The military recovered an assault rifle from the slain rebel as well as 20 backpacks believed to be left behind by the leftist rebels.

"Troops were on security patrol to check on reports of an NPA attempt to sabotage equipment used in a road project that will connect the provinces of Davao del Norte and Bukidnon when the incident happened," the spokesperson said.

Eduardo Ano, commander of the army's 10th Infantry Division, has ordered a pursuit operation against the rebels, Lacambra said.

Wednesday's attack has brought to nine the number of people killed in clashes between soldiers and one of Asia's longest leftist insurgencies in southern Philippines.

Four civilians were also killed when rebels ambushed an ambulance in Surigao del Sur province Sunday while two soldiers were kidnapped in an attack at a Japanese banana plantation in Davao del Norte two days later.

The 4,000-strong NPA, an armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has been fighting a leftist insurgency in 60 out of 81 Philippine provinces since 1969.