Thousands flee as clashes erupt in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan

At least four people were wounded and around 7,000 residents have fled their homes as armed clashes erupted between government forces and lawless elements allegedly backed by

- By LIZA JOCSON, MARTIN SADONGDONG

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) supporters in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan on Tuesday, October 28.

The violence, which began with sporadic gunfire at dawn, has prompted the Philippine Army to deploy troops to secure the area, while the local government declared the town “under siege.”

The unrest follows the October 21 killing of an Islamic teacher and barangay kagawad—an MILF member and sympathizer—at a bus terminal in Lamitan City, which has since fueled tensions in Barangay Baginda and Tipo-Tipo Proper.