Manila  - Suspected communist rebels shot dead an army soldier while he was attending a religious activity of a Christian sect in the southern Philippines, the military said Monday.

Two civilians were also injured in the attack Sunday in Davao City, 990 kilometres south of Manila.

Major General Reynaldo Mapagu, an army infantry commander, said the slain soldier was attacked while he was talking to friends at a religious gathering of the Philippine Independent Church.

Mapagu condemned the attack, saying, "This is a total disregard to the safety of civilians and contempt to a peaceful gathering in a community."

Communist rebels have in the past killed soldiers, police officers and officials as well as government authorities for alleged crimes against the public.

The guerrillas have been fighting the Philippine government since the late 1960s, making the movement one of the longest-running leftist insurgencies in Asia. (dpa)