Hundreds of families from remote villages in North Cotabato, southern Philippines, were forced to flee their homes by fighting between government troops and left- wing rebels of New People's Army (NPA) which started on Friday, reported the official Philippine News Agency Saturday.

Most of the displaced civilians sought refuge at the nearby town of Tulunan where local government set up temporary evacuation centers in public schools, said the News Agency.

Local officials said they would provide food to the displaced families during the military operation to "clean up" NPA from the area.

The report quoted local officials as saying that the government forces attacked NPA rebels with mortars after trading bullets with the latter, in retaliation against a raid by the rebels on an army detachment where the rebels seized some firearms on Thursday.

The government has intensified this year military operations against the NPA, a 7,400-strong rebel force waging guerrilla war against government forces for more than three decades in the countryside.

More than 100 government troops were killed in clashes with NPA in the first half of this year, according to official statistics.

Source: Xinhua