By NITZ ARANCON Correspondent A MILITIAMEN was killed and three others were hurt in a series of fierce clashes between government and New People’s Army (NPA) forces in Claveria, Misamis Oriental on Monday, the military said yesterday. The encounters also resulted in the evacuation of at least 40 families. Capt. Edrozo Mendoza, spokesman of the 58th Infantry Battalion, did not identify the slain militiaman and the wounded who include two soldiers who are members of the battalion’s Special Forces unit. Mendoza said the clashes took place on Monday between soldiers from the 58 IB and NPA in Purok 7, Sitio Aligodon, Barangay Mat-i, Claveria town in Misamis Oriental. The slain militiaman has been brought to a mortuary while the wounded were brought to the Army Hospital at Camp Evangelista in Patag, said Mendoza. Mendoza said the Special Forces unit was leading “clearing operations” in Aligodon when they chanced on some rebels at around 3:30 pm. He said the first encounter last for about 50 minutes, and two soldiers were wounded. He said a three more encounters took place until 5:15 pm when the military sent reinforcement and the rebels staged an ambush. Mendoza said the militiaman was killed in one of the succeeding fierce clashes. Mat-i barangay chairman Apolinario Edo said the clashes immediately displaced at least 12 families who sought refuge in safer grounds. Fernando Dy, chief of the capitol’s Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, said they counted 40 families affected by the Claveria encounters. Dy said the families evacuated to a covered court at the Mat-i proper. Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano ordered relief aid to be sent to the evacuation area.