PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga Del Sur: Hours before the Eid al-Adha celebration, a shooting incident inside a mosque in Purok Malipayon, Barangay Upper Sang-an in Labangan town, Zamboanga del Sur, left two men dead on Tuesday (May 26) evening.
The local police said the victims were a 41-year-old businessman and a 65-year-old resident, both from Labangan town.
Investigation revealed that the 41-year-old victim sustained one gunshot wound on his back, while the 65-year-old victim sustained seven gunshot wounds on different parts of his body.
Both were rushed to a hospital in Pagadian City but were declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.
According to Maj Marlon Mangan-nay, Labangan police chief, the victims were praying when four unidentified suspects barged into the mosque at around 7.18pm and opened fire using both short and long firearms.
The assailants fled aboard a black Toyota Vios vehicle towards nearby Tukuran town.
Responding police recovered fired cartridge cases and saw bloodstains at the crime scene.
Authorities have launched dragnet and hot pursuit operations in coordination with nearby police stations to track down the suspects, who remain at large.
Police urged the public to cooperate and provide information to the nearest station to help resolve the case swiftly.
Col Bonifacio Aranas Jr, Zamboanga del Sur police director, said they strongly condemned the attack, calling it a “senseless act of violence.”
Aranas assured residents that intensified operations are underway to bring the perpetrators to justice and maintain peace and security in the community. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
