Horrifying footage caught the exact moment Akmad Mitra Ampatuan’s car was targeted by an attacker in broad daylight, barely managing to escape before it claimed his life
A mayor has narrowly cheated death after his car was targeted with a rocket launcher. He was shockingly able to drive away from the ambush, as police are now looking into the reasons behind the attack itself.
Akmad Mitra Ampatuan, mayor of the town of Sariff Aguak in the Philippines, was seen managing to avoid the attack, which involved a rocket launcher, as well as hand grenades. The attack took place in broad daylight, with dozens of witnesses seeing the SUV be targeted.
Local media have now confirmed that all four people responsible for the attack have been killed by police. Authorities are now working on the assumption that the ambush had been politically motivated.
Dramatic footage showed the exact moment when one of the attackers fired a missile at the SUV carrying Ampatuan, with a huge ball of fire coming from the car as soon as it was struck. The BBC reported that following the explosion, Ampatuan was able to stop the car briefly before driving away in an incredibly lucky escape.
The incident, which took place at 6am local time on Sunday morning (January 25), is believed to have taken place on the corner of a motorway on the Filipino island of Mindanao. The car had been driving on the road heading towards the headquarters of the provincial police office, based in Shariff Aguak when the attack took place.
In a statement released on their Facebook page following the incident, the local municipality described him as a “brave” man who has a “very soft heart”. They added: “‘Mitra’ still has missions set by Allah, which is why he surpassed the fifth attempt on his life.
“Evil will never triumph over a person who values faith and fellowship more; may ‘Mayor Mitra’ ive long and be blessed in his works.” The mayor has already managed to survive at least four separate assassination attempts in recent years, as police have opened an investigation into the reasons behind the attack.
Local officers have suggested that political tensions in the area could be seen as the motive behind the ambush. Police spokesperson Police Brigadier General Randulf Tuaño said on Tuesday (January 27) that a specific task force has been given the job of working out the motives in the case.
He added: “The first angle we looked at was the local tension or conflict related to local politics that resulted in the hiring of guns for hire in the locality. Although it is not yet confirmed, the possible angle of retaliation has surfaced, where some personalities with the same surname are involved in the incident.”
He also said that investigators have been told to look into claims that Ampatuan’s security had been withdrawn right before the ambush took place.
Investigators are also looking into where the attackers were able to source the weapons used in the strike, according to local media outlet GMA News. Officers are hoping to release their initial findings into the attack next week.
Meanwhile, two of the mayor’s bodyguards are still being treated for their wounds they sustained following the attack. The national police would confirm that all four suspects involved in the case were killed after being pursued by officers themselves.
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