2 hurt by grenade thrown into crowd in North Cotabato town

KIDAPAWAN CITY, North Cotabato – At least two persons were injured when two men on a motorcycle tossed a hand grenade into a crowd gathered on a roadside in the town of Aleosan in North Cotabato, the police said Tuesday.

Luckily, the grenade landed and exploded behind a big rock, inflicting only minor injuries on the victims, said Senior Inspector Milo Cotones, Aleosan police chief.

Cotones said the victims, one identified as Abu Zaida Mamangcop, were among a group of people who had gathered by the roadside in Sitio (sub-village) Bliss Monday evening. Two men on a motorcycle suddenly materialized and tossed a grenade in the midst of the group around 6:30 p.m.

“The explosive landed behind a big rock, which was why the damage was minimal,” he said.

A family feud may have been the motive for the attack, Cotones said, but did not say who the target was or who the attackers were.