Indian national killed by gunmen in sleepy Surigao town

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Xinhua) -- An Indian national was shot dead by two gunmen in a restive Surigao del Norte town on Monday, local police said on Tuesday.

Jugraj Singh, an Indian businessman, died to multiple gunshot wounds after being attacked at Mabuhay village, Sison on Monday morning, according to Superintendent Martin Gamba, spokesperson for the police office of Caraga region, to which Surigao del Norte belongs.

The incident happened as 38-year old Singh was about to get off from his motorcycle near a store to collect payments from his money lending business when two suspects on another motorcycle arrived and shot him in the head and body, killing him instantly, said Gamba.

The suspects immediately fled, and an investigation into the incident was being conducted by police, Gamba added.

Thousands of migrant Indian nationals in the Philippines have been lending capital to the Filipinos, in a scheme that is both illegal but somehow generally tolerated.

Attacks against them are common though, particularly in the violence-plagued and gun-awash southern Philippines where bandits, kidnap gangs and insurgents roam.