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COTABATO CITY (MindaNews/07 October) — Two passengers were killed and 21 others were wounded in an ambush at 2am today in Barangay Labungan, Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao.
Truck driver Felix Aberle said they were traveling from Lebak, Maguindanao along with another passenger truck to Cotabato City.
He said that upon reaching Labungan, some 30 armed men blocked the highway and he thought at first that they were soldiers manning a checkpoint. But when he noticed that some of them were wearing shorts he did not stop.
“At doon na nagkaputukan,” (That’s when the firing started) Aberle said.
Benjie Sitar, one of the passengers, said: “Dumeretso man yung nauna tapos nakasunod kami, kaya kami ang binanatan,” (The first truck went straight ahead and we followed, that’s why they fired at us).
The two slain victims were identified as Janet Cruz, of Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat, and Enrique Balindoan of Lebak.
The wounded victims were brought to the Cotabato Regional Medical Center. Among them were a four-year old girl and her mother who were hit by glass shards.
Lt. Col. Noel Cruz, information officer of the 6th Infantry Division said they immediately sent troops from the Bravo Company of the 6th Infantry Battalion, but the armed men were no longer in the place of incident. (Ferdinandh Cabrera/MindaNews)