The Mati City Police Office in Davao Oriental province was attacked by still unknown armed group at past 7 p.m Sunday.
A sketchy report from Mati City revealed the firefight is still ongoing and some police officers are reportedly trapped inside the police precinct.
According to unconfirmed information, some people are also trapped in the cordoned area. The police office is located across the city's public market and near the Mati Bishop's Palace.
The attack came as a surprise following a declaration by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that Davao Oriental province is insurgency-free.
Some areas in the municipalities particularly in the east coast of province were known hotbeds of the New People's Army (NPA).
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) also has a presence in some other areas although there have been no armed encounters involving Moro rebels for many months.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/105127/mati-city-police-attacked-by-armed-group-firefight-ongoing
Other reports indicate that a force of some 80 NPA guerrillas carried out the attack. It would be interesting to know if the NPA force came from outside Davao Oriental or is indigenous to the province. If the 80-man force is indigenous to Davao Oriental, then one could argue that the declaration of the province as "insurgency free" might have been a bit premature. In any case the attack would appear to be propaganda victory for the NPA insurgents and an embarrassment for the military and local provincial officials.
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