COTABATO CITY (MindaNews/19 Dc) — Seven persons were wounded, including a young girl when a grenade exploded, followed by an exchange of gunfire at the public market in Poblacion 2, Parang, Maguindanao at around 5:45 p.m. Friday.
Mohammad Ali, a brother of the barangay chair who helped bring the patients to the hospitals in Cotabato City, said that before the blast, there was a commotion.
“But we didn’t see who threw the grenade. It was dark, there was a power outage,” Ali said.
Major Jo-Ann Petingly, spokesperson of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division said troops from the 37th Infantry Battalion reported at around 545 p.m. that a loud explosion was heard inside the town’s market, followed by an exchange of gunfire.
The wounded victims were rushed to different hospitals in Cotabato City. They were identified as s Jamila Tomas, Abdullah Tomas, Salahodin Tomas, Saima Raoro, Camlon Rairo, Sirikit Magayan and a certain Locman. Police are still verifying if the conflict stemmed from a rido (clan feud).
Initial items recovered at the crime scene by the Army’s Explosives Ordnance Team, include five empty shells from a 9mm pistol and a safety lever from a hand grenade.
Police and Army operatives are going after a suspect named Sauto Giti from Campo Uno, Matanog, Maguindanao, Petingly said. (Ferdinandh B. Cabrera / MindaNews)