MANILA, Philippines –Communist guerrillas killed 11 soldiers and a civilian Wednesday (April 25th) in one of their most brazen attacks in recent years.

New People's Army (NPA) rebels ambushed a three-vehicle army convoy near the mountain town of Tinoc on the main island of Luzon, said Major-General Rommel Gomez, army commander of the northern Philippines.

An army captain was among 11 soldiers killed, and a civilian who played in a military brass band also died, army spokesman Colonel Loreto Maguddayao told AFP. Two other soldiers and another civilian were wounded.

"This is considered one of the most daring attacks by the NPA in this area in recent years," Maguddayao said.

The NPA is the armed unit of the Communist Party of the Philippines, and has been waging one of Asia's longest running communist insurgencies since 1969.

The government re-opened peace talks with the rebels in February last year, with both sides agreeing to work towards a June 2012 deadline to sign a peace deal, but the talks stalled in November.