Gunmen strafe, burn 2 houses; 2 dead

From Tempo (Oct 31): Gunmen strafe, burn 2 houses; 2 dead

COTABATO CITY – The attack on a secluded village here that left two civilians dead and another wounded Thursday dawn could be a retaliation for the killing of five civilian commuters and wounding of two others in a highway ambush last Monday in Datu Odin Sinsuat (DOS), Maguindanao, according to sources.

Supt. Rex Anongos, Cotabato City police director, said about 20 to 30 heavily armed men aboard a motorized boat arrived at about 5 a.m. Thursday at Purok Lupapakan, Barangay Kalanganan 2 here, strafing and burning two of the houses near a fishpond in the village.

 

Killed in the attack were Abubakar Guiamalel and Guia Akmaed. The wounded victim has yet to be identified.

Anongos said his field troops responded but failed to catch up with the attackers, who allegedly fled the scene upon sensing responding lawmen.

At least 75 spent shells of M-16, AK 47, grenade launcher, M-14 and Garand rifles were recovered from the scene, he said.

Anongos said an in-depth police probe is still underway to establish the real motive and identities of people behind Thursday attack, which also forced some residents to seek refuge in nearby safer grounds.

Interviewed by local reporters, former Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin Sema said the site of the attack is part of his family-owned fishpond, but pointed out that his relatives or workers in the area “were not targets” of the assault.

Sema, who heads a major faction in the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), expressed belief that the attack was an offshoot of the bloody ambush Monday afternoon or three days earlier along the highway of nearby DOS town in Maguindanao.

Five civilians, including two women and a four-year old child, killed and two minors wounded in the ambush. All the victims belonged to the Ayunan family in this city.

http://www.tempo.com.ph/2015/10/31/gunmen-strafe-burn-2-houses-2-dead/