SHARIFF AGUAK, MAGUINDANAO DEL SUR, PHILIPPINES – JANUARY 25, 2025 In southern Philippines, there was an armed assassination attempt on the mayor Akmad Mitra Ampatuan, during which the attackers used an RPG.

The mayor was returning home from the market in the early morning hours when his convoy was ambushed in the Barangay Poblacion area. Security camera footage shows two armed attackers stepping out of a white van, one of them firing an RPG at the mayor’s armored SUV. The projectile damaged the vehicle, but the mayor emerged uninjured thanks to the car’s armor. During the shooting, two members of his security detail were injured, suffering abdominal wounds and were taken to the hospital.

Following the attack, Philippine police and the military launched a “hot pursuit” operation. Using eyewitness information and tracking the suspect van, security forces apprehended them in the nearby town of Datu Unsay. In the subsequent firefight, all the suspected attackers were killed, and police recovered several high-powered firearms from their vehicle.

Authorities stated that this was the third known assassination attempt on Mayor Ampatuan in recent years, highlighting the persistent security risks faced by local political figures in the region. Police strongly condemned the attack and opened an investigation into the attackers’ motives, though no conclusions have yet been released. Authorities also increased security measures in the area and urged the public to report any suspicious activity.