MANILA, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Philippine troops have killed an alleged rebel leader in a clash in Eastern Samar province in the central Philippines that also injured a soldier, a military spokesperson said on Sunday.

Jefferson Mariano, public affairs chief of the Army's 8th Infantry Division said the encounter between the troops and around 15 New People's Army (NPA) militants broke out around 11:30 a.m. local time (03:30 GMT) on Saturday in the outskirts of Borongan City.

Mariano said the troops swooped into the area after receiving a complaint from the villagers about the presence of the rebels. The rebels reportedly fled after the 20-minute clash.

NPA rebels have been fighting the government since 1969. They concentrate their attacks on rural areas and have skirmishes with the military.

Military data showed that the NPA is estimated to have 2,000 members, significantly lower than its peak strength in the 1980s. Enditem

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