VIRAC, Catanduanes, Philippines—Six soldiers and a militiaman were injured when New People's Army guerrillas ambushed members of the 83rd Infantry Battalion in Caramoran town, some 50 kilometers from this capital town, on Sunday afternoon, an Army official said Monday morning.

Army troopers led by Corporal Felix Reodique were conducting combat operations at Barangay (Village) Guiamlong when they encountered around 20 communist rebels at 3:30 p.m., said Major Harold Cabunoc, spokesman of the 9th Infantry Division.

He said the guerrillas, who occupied high ground in the mountainous terrain overlooking the position of the Army squad, triggered a 30-minute firefight.

The wounded soldiers and militiaman, who sustained gunshot wounds in different parts of the body, were brought to the provincial hospital at the Eastern Bicol Medical Center in Virac.

They were identified as squad leader Reodique, Private First Class Victor Rubianes, Private First Class Lope Abanil, Private Juvy Cerdon, 24, Private Ryan Toledanes, 21, a soldier identified only as Archie Mendoza, and Juanito Lucero, a member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit.