MANILA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and two others were wounded after being caught in the crossfire during a clash between a militant group and armed farmers in Cotabato province in the southern Philippines on Wednesday, according to local media reports Thursday.
A local military official said the fighting displaced at least 100 families who took shelter in evacuation centers. Authorities said the clash was believed to have stemmed from a long-running land dispute between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the farmers.
The military said it is still verifying which group initiated the gunfight, and whether the fatality and those wounded are members of the two groups.
Soldiers and police have been deployed to secure the area and conduct clearing operations. ■
