DAVAO CITY - At least 15 security guards have been seriously injured since Tuesday as clashes broke out anew between rival mining firms at the gold rush site in Mt. Diwalwal, Monkayo, Compostela Valley.
Southern Mindanao regional police operations chief Superintendent George Aquisap said those involved in the latest clashes were security guards of the rival companies, JB Management Corporation and Helica Mining Corporation.
"They never stop fighting each other in the area where they have those contested tunnels. So, we have decided that all those tunnels be tightly closed now and that there will be no more operations whatsoever," Aquisap said.
He said the latest hostilities among the guards took place at the intersection of the tunnels of the two firms more commonly known as Victory Tunnel District.
JB Management and Helica, have accused each other of starting the clashes.
Reports bared the security men of Helica attacked last Tuesday the JB guards with guns and grenade launchers and also set their tunnel on fire.
Helica, on the other hand, maintained JB guards were the ones who harassed their miners.
Authorities said the victims are now confined at local hospitals in Davao City for treatment of burns and shrapnel wounds.