7 suspected drug dealers killed in south Philippine raid

At least seven suspected drug pushers were killed and 33 people were arrested following a raid by police and anti-narcotics agents in southern Philippines on Friday, a police chief said. Senior Supt. Vicente Danao, Davao City police chief, said police and anti-narcotics agents swooped down on Ilang village in this city at around 4 a.m. local time. "The suspects resisted during the operation which resulted in a firefight," said Danao. He said 33 other suspected drug peddlers were also arrested following the law enforcement operation which lasted for five hours. Danao said the community in Ilang is a slum area which has a large Muslim population. Authorities said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has placed the area under surveillance since last year. Danao said police and PDEA agents seized large cache of methamphetamine locally known as shabu and several weapons.