GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines (PNA) – More than 2,000 residents from five villages of Palimbang town in Sultan Kudarat have fled their homes in the last three days following a series of clashes reportedly involving several local armed groups.

Lt. Col. Adolfo Espuelas Jr., commander of the Army’s 73rd Infantry Battalion, said Thursday pockets of skirmishes among suspected members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and an alleged bandit group have erupted in several villages of Palimbang town reportedly due to a long-drawn land dispute in the area.

He said the conflict started last Monday when at least 60 armed men aboard four pump boats arrived and occupied a portion of the coastal village of Kidayan in Palimbang.

Local policemen reportedly responded to the scene but were fired upon by members of the armed band.

“Based on initial reports, the conflict involved members of various groups but it mainly stemmed from a land dispute among local clans there,” Espuelas said in a radio interview.

The Army official said the clashes, which have spread to several other barangays, already resulted in the killing of a suspected bandit and injury of two others.