The military has deployed peacekeeping forces in remote villages in Carmen and Aleosan, both in North Cotabato, following the eruption of armed conflict involving warring Moro rebels.
The local government of Aleosan reported 287 families or about 1,600 persons displaced by the armed conflict that started Friday last week.
Elements of the 7th Infantry Battalion and 40th Infantry Battalion were deployed to prevent the escalation of armed conflict triggered by a long standing family feud involving Commander Tiu of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Commander Tarzan of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which already resulted in the death of one and wounding of another.
Aleosan Mayor Loreto Cabaya said the displaced families were from the village of Tonganon, a part of Carmen, and sought refuge in the village of Lawili which is part of Aleosan.
"We already extended relief assistance to displaced families although they are not from our village," Cabaya told reporters.
Military officials said Commander Tarzan and his followers attacked on Friday dawn the area of his brother-in-law, Commander Tiu of the MNLF, reportedly to avenge the death of the former's follower.
Tiu's followers put up a fight that lasted for about an hour that also sent villagers to flee to nearby communities. Cabaya said the area has been normalized and the displaced families, mostly Maguindanaon Muslims and relatives of warring clans, have returned home.
An Army official said the conflict was more of a family feud than an MNLF-MILF organizational fighting.
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