By Edwin Fernandez
COTABATO CITY – Police have launched an intensive manhunt against six heavily armed men responsible for killing four persons and wounding three others in Sultan Kudarat town, Maguindanao del Norte on Monday afternoon.
“Among the fatalities was a 10-year-old girl. The brazen attack occurred at 1:20 p.m. in Sitio Katorse, Barangay Ladia,” Lt. Col. Esmael Madin, Sultan Kudarat police chief, told reporters in an interview on Tuesday.
Madin said the gunmen descended upon the quiet farming community in Ladia village, opening fire on unsuspecting civilians, including two senior citizens.
The fatalities, all relatives, were identified as Mokaram Sarat, 73; Basit Gampong, 63; Kadir Sarat Indaw, 29; and the minor, who all died on the spot. Three of their relatives managed to survive by fleeing their homes during the strafing and are currently receiving medical treatment at a government hospital.
Madin said witness accounts indicated that six armed men arrived in an unlicensed minivan. They immediately began shooting victims on sight using automatic rifles before fleeing in the same vehicle.
The motive behind the attack and the precise identities of the assailants remained unknown as of this report, with the investigation ongoing, he added. (PNA)
