6 hurt in grenade blast in mosque at Talayan, Maguindanao

April 21, 2017 - 4:54 PM
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Talayan grenadeblast ambulance
Ambulance brings the wounded from the Talayan grenade blast scene to hospital in Cotabato City. Photograph from Brigada News Cotabato.


Dennis Arcon, News5-InterAksyon

COTABATO CITY – A grenade blast rocked a mosque in Talayan, Maguindanao at 1 o’clock Friday afternoon, wounding at least six persons, including Datu Anggal Midtimbang, Vice Mayor Nataniel Midtimbang, and Talayan Mayor Datu Ali Midtimbang.

An initial police report indicated that the incident happened just after the victims emerged from prayers in the Golden Mosque at downtown Talayan, with the grenade hurled by still-unidentified men, who were riding tandem-style on a red motorcycle, who immediately transferred to a waiting getaway van, a Toyota Innova.

The attackers concealed their identities by wrapping themselves in traditional malong blankets.

Also wounded were Manap Balumol, Jimmy Abdulrahman, Barangay Chairman Datumanong Mopac, and a 17-year old relative of Vice Mayor Midtimbang.

The blast victims were quickly brought by ambulance to Notre Dame Hospital here, and were pronounced out of danger.

Law enforcement teams mounted hot pursuit operations.