One person was killed, and two others were wounded after being allegedly caught in the crossfire in the clash between members of the 108th Base Command of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and armed farmers in Barangay Estado, Matalam, Cotabato on Wednesday afternoon, a military official said.
The hostilities also displaced at least 100 families who have sought shelter in the village covered court and in the same facility in nearby Barangay San Roque in this city.
They were given food relief and tents for their temporary shelters.
2nd Lt. Jewel Mae Bureros, 40th Infantry Battalion Civil-Military Operation acting officer, said the encounter took place at around 1:40 pm.
She added that they are still verifying which group initiated the gunfight.
The military official said they are also investigating if the fatality and those wounded are members of the two warring groups.
Bureros said military personnel and members of the Matalam police have been deployed in the area to conduct clearing operations and ensure the safety of the community as the residents left their homes and farm animals.
This was not the first time an encounter took place in Barangay Estado. In past harvests, armed men attacked farmers and confiscated their produce, prompting them to take up arms for protection.
Authorities are eyeing land conflict as the motive of the attacks, as both the MILF members and the farmers tending the lands are claiming ownership of a parcel of land.
The Local Government Unit of Matalam has held dialogues among the warring groups, but there has been no clear resolution