MANILA- Hundreds fled their homes in Lanao del Sur amid clashes between the military and the joint forces of the Abu Sayyaf and Maute terror groups on Sunday morning

In the town of Piagapo, 416 families or 1,828 individuals have evacuated while 57 families or over 200 individuals have fled the town of Wato, their respective Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Offices (MDRRMO) said.

In a press release, the military said operations against the terror groups began last April 21.

At 5:45 a.m. Sunday, an intense firefight erupted anew between government troops and bandits and is still ongoing as of posting time.

An earlier firefight preceded today’s clash on Saturday morning as military forces engaged members of the terror groups in a gunfight in Barangay Gakap, Piagapo town in Lanao del Sur.