29.01.2026 12:42
An armed attack was carried out during the day against Mayor Akmad Ampatuan in the town of Shariff Aguak, located in the province of Maguindanao del Sur in the Philippines. The mayor's armored vehicle was fired upon with a rocket launcher and automatic weapons.
A mayor in the Philippines narrowly escaped an armed attack that took place during the day. The mayor's armored vehicle was fired upon with a rocket launcher (RPG) and automatic weapons. The moments were captured on camera.
The incident occurred around 6:00 AM in the town of Shariff Aguak, located in the Maguindanao del Sur province of the Philippines. Mayor Akmad Ampatuan's convoy was ambushed as it entered a gas station.
In the footage, a person getting out of a minibus parked across the street can be seen placing a rocket launcher on their shoulder and directly targeting the mayor's vehicle. It was reported that a second assailant also opened fire with an automatic weapon at the same time.
The fired rocket did not hit the armored vehicle. A brief cloud of smoke formed due to the explosion, while the mayor's vehicle quickly sped away from the scene. Two bodyguards were injured during the attack, but Mayor Ampatuan escaped unharmed.
The town's quiet streets turned into a battlefield at the moment of the attack. Authorities stated that the assault was carried out by an armed group of four individuals.
Police teams quickly began pursuing the fleeing assailants. It was reported that four attackers were killed in an armed confrontation on the national highway. High-caliber weapons were seized from the vehicle the assailants were in.
The Philippine National Police is assessing that the incident may have been a politically motivated assassination attempt. Authorities are also investigating whether the attackers were hired assassins.
Fourth Attack on the Mayor
This attack was the fourth assassination attempt on Mayor Akmad Ampatuan in the last 15 years. Ampatuan had previously survived a bombing in 2010 and armed ambushes in 2014 and 2019.
Speaking after the incident, Ampatuan expressed his surprise at the attack, stating, "Such heavy weapons are not in the hands of ordinary people. This was a planned and professional attack." The mayor mentioned that he had some suspicions about who might be behind the attack but could not speak definitively.
The Ampatuan family is known as one of the powerful families that have been influential in local politics in the southern Philippines for many years. The region has frequently been in the news due to bloody political conflicts and tribal-based violence in the past.
The attack occurred two months before the parliamentary elections planned in the region. Experts point out that political violence tends to increase during election periods.
Authorities announced that a large-scale investigation into the incident is ongoing.