Several soldiers and communist rebels have been killed in fierce fighting in the central and southern Philippines, military officials said yesterday. At least six army soldiers, including a lieutenant, were killed on Friday when they were ambushed by New People's Army (NPA) in the town of Calbiga in Western Samar province, 555 kilometers southeast of Manila, the military said. The soldiers were checking reports of the presence of armed men in a village when attacked by some 35 rebels, said Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan said, commander of the army's 8th Infantry Division based in the province. Palparan admitted that the slain soldiers committed security lapses in going to the area, and were apparently tricked into believing there would a surrender.In the other incident in northern Mindanao, officials said an undetermined number of rebels were killed in fighting with government soldiers in the town of San Luis in Agusan del Sur province. "Many rebels were either killed or wounded in the fighting. There were no casualties on the government side," the spokesman of the army's 4th Infantry Division, Maj. Alexis Bravo, told Arab News. He said the fighting erupted in the village of Moritula after patrolling troops ran into a group of about 50 rebels on Friday. Troops also recovered three claymore mines left behind by the gunmen, he said. "The NPA continue to use land mines despite its global ban and sad to say that many civilians are killed by these mines than soldiers," he said. Regional military commander Maj. Gen. Samuel Bagasin said he ordered security forces to pursue the rebels. "The operation against the NPA is continuing and we have a strong public support," he said.