PIKIT, Cotabato — A 60-year-old multicab driver was killed in a brazen attack involving gunfire and a grenade explosion along a national highway in Barangay Takepan, authorities confirmed.
The victim, identified as Nano Guiambalanan Salimenang, a resident of the area, was driving his multicab on the afternoon of April 18 when he was suddenly attacked by two unidentified assailants riding in tandem on a motorcycle.
According to the Pikit Municipal Police Station, the suspects approached the victim and hurled a grenade at his vehicle before opening fire using a .45-caliber pistol. The combined blast and gunfire left the victim with multiple fatal injuries.
Responders rushed Salimenang to a nearby hospital in an attempt to save his life, but he was declared dead on arrival by attending physicians due to the severity of his wounds.
Crime scene investigators recovered critical evidence, including the safety lever of the exploded grenade and several empty shell casings from a .45-caliber firearm, indicating the intensity of the attack.
Police said the suspects immediately fled the scene after carrying out the assault, heading toward the direction of Aleosan town. A flash alarm has since been issued, and coordination with nearby border checkpoints is ongoing to track down the perpetrators.
Initial investigation suggests the attack was deliberate, but authorities have yet to determine the motive behind the killing.
The incident has raised alarm among residents, as the use of both firearms and explosives in a single attack underscores a level of violence that police are now closely examining.
Law enforcement authorities continue to conduct a manhunt operation while pursuing deeper investigation into the identity of the suspects and the circumstances that led to the fatal ambush.