(UPDATE) 3 soldiers wounded in bomb blast in Compostela

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Xinhua)- Three soldiers were wounded following an encounter with leftist rebels in the southern Philippines early today, the military said.

Troops from the army's 66th Infantry Battalion were conducting combat operations in San Isidro village, Mawab town, in Compostela Valley province at 7 a.m. today, when they clashed with an undetermined number of New People's Army rebels, said Michael Logico, a local army commander.

"An improvised explosive was set off by the insurgents, wounding three soldiers. Our troops fought back, sparking a brief firefight," Logico told Xinhua, adding combat operations were launched after villagers alerted the army about the presence of NPA guerrillas in their community.