COTABATO CITY, the Philippines, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and two others were injured after gunmen in southern Philippines attacked a convoy of private vehicles Thursday night.

    Philippine police officials said Friday that armed men, believed to be rouge Muslim rebels, opened fire around 10:00 p.m. on vehicles that passed along the national highway in the town of Pikit in the province of North Cotabato.

    Pikit's police chief Inspector Elias Dandan said the attackers positioned themselves at elevated portion of the highway and fired their automatic rifles at the vehicles.

    Philippine police officials are investigating if the attack was due to a clan war. In southern Philippines, clan wars known as "rido" is common between families feuding over politics, business or land ownership. The hostilities usually last for decades and will only end only after religious leaders mediate between the two fighting families.