Mati City Police attacked by armed group

DAVAO CITY — The Mati City Police Office in Davao Oriental province was attacked by still unknown armed group at past 7 p.m Sunday.

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, adding 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 exist in some other areas although there have been no armed encounters involving Moro rebels for many months.