Three soldiers died while another was injured following an encounter with members of the leftist rebel group New People's Army (NPA) in the northern Philippine province of Albay on Monday morning.

Maj. Angelo Guzman, spokesman of the Philippine Army's 9th Infantry Division, said soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Batallion fought with 40 NPAs at Manilala village, Camalig town in Albay province. The area is about two or three kilometers away from the international airport which the rebels raided on May 18 last year and burned equipment worth 100 million pesos (2.42 million US dollars).

Guzman said soldiers were dispatched to patrol the area after receiving reports that the leftist rebels were again planning to attack the international airport which is currently under construction.

He said the NPAs exploded a landmine before opening fire at the soldiers. Guzman said the soldiers also lost a K3 squad automatic weapon and two M-16 rifles to the rebels.

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