Twenty-four drug suspects were killed starting Thursday afternoon to Friday morning in the four cities of the Northern Police District, according to a police report.

The report, citing Chief Superintendent Roberto Fajardo, director of the Northern Police District on Friday said the twenty-four suspected illegal drug personalities "engaged in a shootout with lawmen."

"The PNP ( Philippine National Police) will not kill suspects who are unarmed and will not fight it out with PNP operatives," said Fajardo in the report.

Thirty-six persons were arrested and assorted pieces of evidence were recovered, the report said.

The breakdown of casualties are: 13 in Caloocan City, 1 in Malabon, 2 in Navotas, 5 in Valenzuela, one from the drug enforcement unit and 2 from the special operations unit.

This is the third big anti-crime campaign by the police since Tuesday when 32 were reported killed in Bulacan and 25 in Manila.

"The Northern Police District conducted One Time, Big Time to show to the pushers that they will not have safe haven in NPD," said Fajardo, who pointed out that the district is sandwiched on the north by Bulacan Province and Manila Police District on the west. DMS