Security cameras have recorded the shocking moment a man fired a rocket at an SUV carrying a mayor in the Philippines, sparking rumours of a professional assassination attempt.
CCTV footage reveals a casually dressed man, wearing sandals, stepping out of a van with a rocket launcher slung over his shoulder before he targets the mayor’s SUV further down the road.
A plume of smoke erupts from the launcher as the rocket strikes the rear of the vehicle.
The bulletproof black Toyota Land Rover is then seen speeding off, leaving a trail of smoke behind.
Akmad Mitra Ampatuan, the mayor of Shariff Aguak, survived the attack on 25 January.
During a press conference, he drew attention to the weaponry used by his assailants.
« I didn’t think they would use a gun that large. A rocket-propelled grenade is not something an ordinary person uses, » he said.
Two of the mayor’s security guards inside the SUV were injured, reported local news source Minda News. The Philippine National Police and army launched a pursuit of the attackers.
Several hours later, they cornered the suspects, resulting in a shootout. Three were wounded and a fourth suspect remains at large.
The mayor was targeted as he was returning home from a local market around 6:30 a.m. near the city hall.
His backup vehicle, a pickup truck, was hit by gunfire, Minda News reported.
National Police spokesperson Randulf Tuano revealed to news.com.au that the assailants were led by a man known as « Raprap », with his uncle, cousin and a sibling, who acted as the driver, as accomplices.
« The first angle we are looking at is local tension related to local politics, which may have resulted in the hiring of gunmen-for-hire, » Tuano stated.
This attack reportedly marks the third attempt on Ampatuan’s life, with previous attempts occurring in 2014 and 2019.
On 24 December 2019, Ampatuan’s convoy was ambushed in a town where he served as vice mayor, resulting in the death of two of his escorts. In the 2019 ambush, he sustained injuries and two of his security guards were killed.
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