Sunday, July 06, 2008

Commuter Bus Attacked In Southern Philippines

ILIGAN CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 6, 2008) – Unidentified gunmen opened fire Sunday on a commuter bus in the southern Philippine province of Lanao del Norte, killing its driver and wounding several passengers, police and military said.

Policemen, backed by soldiers, were pursuing the gunmen in the town of Kauswagan where the attacked occurred. “At least ten gunmen were involved in the attack and there is a pursuit operation going on,” Senior Superintendent Linog Bagul, the provincial police chief, told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said the bus driver was killed and several more were injured in the attack on a village called Kawit Oriental.

Bagul said the armed men opened fire on the bus after it ignored warnings to stop. “The driver must have sensed the armed men were bandits and ignored warnings to stop,” he said.

He said policemen, who responded to the shootings, chased and briefly battled with the gunmen while another group secured the passengers. There were no reports of casualties either from the police or the attackers.

Bagul said the bus was on its way to Zamboanga City when attacked. It was unknown as to what group was responsible for the shootings, but bandits and rebels are actively operating in the province.

Army Brig. Gen. Hilario Atendido, commander of the military’s Task Force Lanao, said three passengers were wounded in the attack. “Our troops are pursuing the bandits,” he said in a separate interview. (Mindanao Examiner)

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