Government troops clashed with communist rebels sparking fear among locals in a mountainous province in the Philippines.

Footage shows army planes launching airstrikes at the insurgents, with the bombardment visible from nearby homes in Pilar town, Abra province, on April 2.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines' 5th Infantry Division said the 50th Infantry Battalion encountered members of the Kilusang Larangang Gerilya North Abra, which is affiliated with the New People's Army - the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Brigadier General Ferdinand Melchor Dela Cruz, commander of the 501st Infantry Brigade, said: 'The areas attacked were their suspected withdrawal routes, just to impress on them that we have the capabilities to suppress them.'

One soldier was reported to have suffered minor injuries, while the army was still determining if any rebels had been killed.

Meanwhile, at least 137 families in Pilar town were evacuated, and classes have been suspended.

Pilar Mayor Tyron Christopher Beroña said: 'I am asking the residents not to return to their homes for now, for their own safety. We do not know yet if the area has been cleared of rebels.'

The clash is the fifth documented encounter between soldiers and communist guerillas in Abra this year.

The New People's Army is the military wing of the Communist Party - a benighted ideology originating from German philosopher Karl Marx in the 19th century - of the Philippines. Its members are primarily based in the archipelago's countryside, and have been waging a guerrilla war on the government in one of the longest-running rebellions in the world.

The group has been designated a terrorist organisation by the United States and the European Union.