Aides of Maguindanao 'narco mayor' killed in police shootout

MAGUINDANAO — Four followers of a fugitive mayor included in Malacañang’s list of narco-politicians were killed while three others were wounded in a firefight with police before dawn Thursday in Ampatuan, Maguindanao.
 
The hostilities erupted when gunmen identified with Ampatuan Mayor Rasul Sangki opened fire on agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group who approached their hideout in Barangay Salman to serve him a warrant for his arrest.
 
Sangki has reportedly been hiding for two months now in the hinterlands of Barangay Salman southwest of Ampatuan, within short distance from the scene of the Nov. 23, 2009 “Maguindanao massacre.”
 
Superintendent Jimmy Daza, regional chief of the CIDG for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said they were to peacefully arrest Sangki but his followers opened fire when combined police and Army personnel came close to their hideout.
 
Four followers of Sangki were killed while three others were wounded in the ensuing firefight.
 
They scampered away when the Philippine Air Force provided the teams sent to arrest Sangki with air support.
 
Two MG-520 attack helicopters were called in to shoot them with .50 caliber machineguns from the air when they fired 40-millimeter explosive projectiles and B-40 anti-tank rockets at the troops that tried to surround their lair.