Rocket attack on mayor’s bulletproof SUV is caught on CCTV | World | News
The shocking moment a man in the Philippines fired a rocket at an SUV carrying the mayor was captured by security cameras, sparking rumors of a professional assassination attempt.
CCTV footage shows a casually dressed man wearing sandals getting out of a minibus with a rocket launcher slung over his shoulder and aiming for the mayor’s SUV down the road.
When the rocket hits the rear of the vehicle, a cloud of smoke emerges from the launcher.
The bulletproof black Toyota Land Rover is then seen speeding away, leaving a trail of smoke behind.
Shariff Aguak Mayor Akmad Mitra Ampatuan survived the attack on January 25.
At the press conference, he drew attention to the weapons used by the attackers.
“I didn’t think they would use such a big weapon. A rocket-propelled grenade is not something an ordinary person can use,” he said.
Local news outlet Minda News reported that two security guards in the mayor’s SUV were injured. The Philippine National Police and military went after the attackers.
A few hours later, they cornered the suspects and a shootout broke out. Three people were injured and a fourth suspect remains at large.
The mayor was targeted while returning home from the local market near the city hall at around 6.30am.
According to Minda News, a pickup truck with a spare vehicle was gunned down.
National Police spokesman Randulf Tuano told news.com.au that the attackers were led by a man known as “Raprap”, and that his uncle, cousin and a brother who was a driver were also accomplices.
“The first point we look at is local tension related to local politics that may have resulted in the recruitment of hired gunmen,” Tuano said.
This attack is reportedly the third attempted attack on Ampatuan; previous attempts occurred in 2014 and 2019.
On December 24, 2019, Ampatuan’s convoy was ambushed in a town where he served as deputy mayor, resulting in the death of two of his companions. He was injured and two security guards were killed in the 2019 ambush.
