Government forces clashed with suspected drug personalities in Ampatuan, Maguindanao early yesterday morning, police and military officials said.
Supt. Jimmy Daza, chief of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said joint police and military forces were serving search warrants against suspected illegal drug personalities in the mountains of Barangay Saniag, Ampatuan when the fighting erupted.
“The operation is still on-going,” Daza said in a phone interview.
Senior Supt. Agustin Tello, Maguindanao police director, said included in the search warrant is Mayor Rasul Sangki of Ampatuan who was named by President Duterte in August last year as among the narco politicians in the ARMM.
Sangki, along with other local executives, has denied he is into illegal drugs.
At least four armed men were killed and three others were injured when they resisted the serving of search warrants issued by a local court.
The Army 6th Infantry Division provided air support through its Huey helicopters and MG-520 attack helicopters to ground troops.
Several families from the indigenous peoples have fled to safer grounds, disaster officials said. (PNA)
