Government forces in Maguindanao Norte successfully recovered high-powered firearms from an abandoned vehicle following a brief firefight at a checkpoint in Barangay Kurintem. The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon, as reported by Lt. Colonel Ismael Madin, the chief of the Datu Odin Sinsuat municipal police station, in a statement issued on Monday.
According to Philippines News Agency, the confrontation began when a white minivan, bearing the license plate WOW-128, approached the police-army checkpoint along the national highway but refused to stop for inspection. The occupants of the vehicle fired at the law enforcement officers, leading to a brief exchange of gunfire before they managed to escape. Madin noted that no casualties were reported on the government side, but there is suspicion that one of the gunmen was injured. The suspects are believed to be involved in gunrunning. The police are currently conducting further investigations, including a ballistic test on the seized firearms. The recovered items from the vehicle include an M14 rifle, an M16 rifle, an M-79 grenade launcher, and ammunition for a .60-caliber machine gun.