2 hurt in grenade blast in Pikit, Cotabato
BLAST VICTIM | Mechanic Reformido Regulacion, 64, sustained shrapnel injuries in his thighs and lower legs after a man tossed a hand grenade in a motorbike shop in Pikit, Cotabato Friday afternoon, Oct. 7, 2022. (Photo from Pikit Municipal Police)
PIKIT, Cotabato, Philippines — Two persons were injured in a grenade attack here on Friday afternoon, the police said.
Maj. Maxim Peralta, chief of the Pikit Municipal Police Station, identified the injured blast victims as Abdulrauf Mustapha Pangatong, 29, of Barangay Lagunde, and Reformido Regulacion, 64, of Barangay Poblacion.
They were the latest victims in the series of violent incidents that rocked this town, more known as “Bayang Marikit,” in the past months.
Police have recorded more than 30 shootings in the last 40 weeks, or roughly one incident every nine days.
Citing the victims’ account, Peralta said Regulacion, a mechanic, was busy repairing a motorcycle when two men riding on a motorbike passed by and lobbed a grenade at 4:10 p.m.
The men then fled toward Barangay Bulod, Peralta added.
When the grenade exploded, Pangatong was on his motorcycle parked in front of the shop.
The victims sustained shrapnel injuries in the stomach and thighs and were rushed to a local hospital.
Members of a Scene of Crime Operation (SOCO) team found shrapnel for an MK2 fragmentation grenade in the blast site.
Hours earlier, Rodolfo Gornez, 74, a retired civilian militia of Barangay Panicupan was injured when gunmen ambushed him and his driver at about 10 a.m.
Peralta said Gornez sustained non-fatal injuries while the driver of motorbike he was riding on, Salim Garcia, 29, was unharmed.
On Thursday, three women were critically injured after an ambush by motorcycle-riding gunmen in Barangay Gli-Gli.
Pikit Mayor Sumulong Sultan said the rash of killings in the town was the handiwork of people who wanted to discredit his administration.
He also admitted that some of the killings were due to clan feuds involving Moro families.
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