ZAMBOANGA CITY – Four people were killed Sunday in the restive province of Basilan in southern Philippines where Abu Sayyaf rebels are actively operating.
The attackers strafed a house in the town of Ungkaya Pukan and killed four of its occupants, one of them a former village chieftain. It was unclear whether the attack was carried out by rebels or an offshoot of a clan war or political violence.
The gunmen fled after the shooting. No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the attack, although Basilan which is one of 5 provinces under the Muslim autonomous region, is a known stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf.
It was unknown how the gunmen managed to sneak into the village despite on an extended martial rule in the entire region, but the attack only proves that security was poor in the troubled province. (Mindanao Examiner)
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