2 Pentagon ‘members’ wounded in shootout

COTABATO CITY – Two alleged members of the Pentagon kidnapping syndicate were wounded when an Indian merchant whose car they were supposed to steal, shot it out with them the other day.

Responding policemen, led by Senior Superintendent Sangacala Dampac, the city’s police chief, cornered one of the two wounded suspects, Alvin Abedin, at the Cotabato Regional Medical Hospital.

Investigators said Abedin and his cohort, a certain Badrudin Mohammad, showed up at the dry goods store of Ram Buxani, a long-time trader here, and attempted to commandeer his vehicle. One of them even tried to shoot Buxani’s driver twice, but missed.

Noticing the commotion, Buxani pulled out a licensed caliber .38 revolver and traded shots with Abedin and Mohammad. Witnesses noticed two suspected cohorts of the suspects fleeing from the scene aboard motorcycles after the shots rang out.

Police believe Mohammad was also wounded in the firefight because his shirt was already smeared with blood as he ran away when policemen arrived.

Dampac said two passersby, spouses Zainal and Zhaica Talusan, were trapped in the crossfire and were both wounded.

Witnesses, among them sidewalk vendors, said it was Mohammad who shot the couple before fleeing.

Dampac said his men are now tracking down Mohammad and his motorcycle-riding companions.

Intelligence sources said Abedin and Mohammad apparently merely wanted to rob Buxani’s store since they did not have a getaway vehicle.