Nabalawag: A series of firefights erupted on Wednesday between an armed group and local police in the town of Nabalawag in the Special Geographic Area of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (SGA-BARMM), leaving a police officer wounded. Capt. Steffi Salanguit, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office - Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, identified the wounded officer as Patrol Officer Alfadz Umal of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 14-A. 'He (Umal) was hit in his right thigh,' Salanguit said in a radio interview.

According to Philippines News Agency, an armed encounter was initially reported at about 3 a.m. in Sitio Bentad, Barangay Olandang, Nabalawag, which lasted until 7 a.m. Police immediately dispatched a team to Barangay Olandang to assess the situation. 'However, as the law enforcers were conducting a checkpoint operation, they were fired upon by the armed men, who hit Umal in the leg,' Salanguit said, adding that the armed group's identity remains unknown.

An undetermined number of families have fled to safer grounds, while additional police forces were dispatched to augment the security personnel stationed in Barangay Kadingilan, the site of the latest running gun battle. The wounded cop is undergoing treatment in a hospital in Midsayap, North Cotabato, and is in stable condition. Initial investigation showed that the armed group planned to take over the municipal hall following the peaceful conduct of the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections on Sept. 14. Sporadic skirmishes were continuing as of this posting.