COTABATO CITY, Philippines -- Two teenagers were wounded when suspected Moro rebels attacked a civilian community in Alamada town, North Cotabato, at dawn Tuesday, the mayor said.

A resident of Barangay (village) Dado, Florante Parsamento, said more than 70 families fled to the Alamada town center after the attacks.

Alamada Mayor Ernesto Concepcion said around 30 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters first attacked Sitio (sub-village) New Luzon in Barangay (village) Dado around 3 a.m.

Marivic Talaman, 16, was wounded by shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG)

The rebels withdrew after a 30-minute firefight with policemen of the Regional Mobile Group, Concepcion said.

Around 5:30 a.m., the rebels launched RPGs at the Dado market, wounding 14-year-old Shiella May Dallos.

The attacks also killed two cows and a horse, the mayor said.

Troops of the Army's 68th Infantry Battalion have been deployed to the village, the mayor said, as he described the situation as "still volatile because the rebels are still in the mountains overlooking the village and they are heavily armed."

There were still sporadic firefights at noon of Tuesday.

Parasamento said they "could still hear explosions, loud explosions so we decided to evacuate."

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu confirmed their forces’ presence around Dado but said he had yet to receive reports from their field commanders there.