3 killed, 5 hurt in Zamboanga City strafing

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Three people were killed while five others were wounded after unidentified gunmen ambushed their truck Thursday in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines. Officials said the attack occurred shortly before 3 p.m. in Barangay Victoria located east of Zamboanga City. “Three people were killed instantly and five others are wounded in the attack," said Nonoy Revillas, the village chieftain. No individual or group claimed responsibility for the ambush, but one of the wounded, Al Asid Alpito, said the motorcycle-riding gunmen opened fire on their truck. “We were shot with an Armalite (rifle). We don’t know the two men, they just opened fire on our truck," he told reporters from his hospital bed. Officials said the motive of the attack was unknown, but previous attacks on civilians in Zamboanga City had been largely blamed to the Abu Sayyaf and the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels. - Al Jacinto, GMANews.TV