Town’s Vice Mayor, Aides Killed In Ambush In N. Philippines

MANILA, Feb 20 (NNN-PNA) – Six people, including a local official, were killed, when unidentified gunmen opened fire at a van, in Nueva Vizcaya province, in the northern Philippines, yesterday morning, police said.

The police said, the attack occurred around 8:45 a.m. local time, along a highway in Bagabag town, while the van was travelling north to Aparri, a town in the northern Philippine Cagayan province.

Initial investigation showed that the six masked gunmen, clad in police uniforms, blocked the road, forcing the van to stop. The armed men then peppered the car with bullets, resulting in the death of the six.

The attackers fled after the ambush.

The police confirmed that one of those killed was a vice mayor of Aparri, and the five others were his aides. The six died at the scene.

A police investigation is underway to determine the motive of the shooting.