Isulan, Sultan Kudarat — Two individuals were injured in an ambush that occurred at around 7:45 a.m. today, December 2, 2024, along the National Highway in Barangay Kalawag 2.
The victims were identified as Asmodin Abitan Amelon, a 30-year-old driver and employee of the Provincial Government of Maguindanao del Sur, who resides in Barangay Morales, Koronadal City. He sustained a head injury. Another victim, Engineer Amarodin Hadji Sangki Esmael, 38, an employee of the Provincial Engineering Office of Maguindanao del Sur, and a resident of Barangay Kakal, Ampatuan, Maguindanao, suffered an injury to his right hand.
Two other passengers—a 27-year-old male and a public school teacher—escaped unharmed during the attack.
According to the initial investigation, the victims were traveling from Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur, to Buluan, Maguindanao del Sur, in a metallic grey Estrada pick-up when two suspects, lying in wait, fired upon their vehicle.
The suspects, who fled the scene on a red Honda XRM motorcycle, are now the subject of a hot pursuit operation by the Isulan Municipal Police Station (MPS) alert team.
Despite the injuries, the driver managed to steer the vehicle to a nearby hospital for medical assistance. Investigators recovered four fired cartridge cases of a .45 caliber firearm from the crime scene.
Authorities have heightened security in neighboring areas, alerting nearby police units, military forces, and barangay checkpoints to apprehend the suspects. Investigators are also looking into the possibility of nearby CCTV cameras that may have captured the incident to aid in identifying the perpetrators.
The investigation remains ongoing.