Two businessmen were killed after they were shot while praying inside a mosque in Barangay Upper Sang-an, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur, on Tuesday, May 26.
According to a report from the Labangan Municipal Police Station (MPS), the incident happened during prayer time inside the masjid.
Initial investigation showed that two armed men aboard a black vehicle entered the mosque and opened fire at the victims from behind.
The victims, identified as a 65-year-old and a 45-year-old, were both residents and businessmen in Barangay Sang-an.
The victims were immediately rushed to the hospital but were declared dead on arrival after sustaining gunshot wounds at the back of their bodies.
After the shooting, the suspects quickly fled aboard a black Toyota Vios.
Authorities are now conducting a hot pursuit operation against the gunmen. Police have coordinated with nearby barangays and neighboring Philippine National Police stations to track down the suspects.
Checkpoints have also been established in several areas as part of intensified police operations to locate and arrest the perpetrators.
