MANILA, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Philippine army troops killed six rebels in a clash on Wednesday in the northern Philippines, a military official said.

Captain Joash Pramis, the spokesman of the Philippine Army's 9th Infantry Division based in the Camarines Sur province south of Manila, said the fighting broke out around 6 a.m. local time on Wednesday while troops were conducting combat operation.

He said the 20-minute fierce fighting ensued between the troops and around 15 New People's Army (NPA) soldiers who were allegedly in the village to recruit cadres, resulting in the killing of six. The rest of the rebels fled, he added.

Troops recovered firearms, including six M14 rifles and a grenade launcher, he added.

Pramis said no government soldier was killed or wounded in the clash and more troops were sent to the area to pursue the fleeing rebels.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared an all-out war against the leftist rebels and their fronts after a fresh attempt to talk peace to end decades-old insurgency collapsed.