MANILA — Six soldiers were killed on Tuesday in the first major attack by Communist rebels in the Philippines since the 50th anniversary of their guerrilla movement last month, the military said.

The soldiers were checking on reports of guerrilla activity before dawn in the central island province of Samar when they struck an improvised land mine planted by rebels, said Col. Noel Detoyato, a spokesman for the army. He said an hourlong gun battle followed, during which soldiers believe some of the rebels were wounded.

“All of our casualties were caused by the improvised explosive device,” Colonel Detoyato said. “It was a powerful blast.” Six soldiers were wounded in addition to those killed, he said.

The New People’s Army, the armed wing of the underground Communist Party of the Philippines, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was carried out because the military “has a long and bloody trail of human rights violations” on Samar, a stronghold of the Communist movement. Samar was struck by a powerful earthquake on Tuesday afternoon.