SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao del Sur — A quiet morning was shattered by violence when a grenade attack targeted a moving military vehicle, leaving two Philippine Army soldiers and three civilian bystanders injured. The brazen assault has triggered an intensive manhunt for the perpetrators amid heightened security measures in the region.

The incident occurred during the early hours of the Saturday morning, July 18, 2026 raising immediate concerns over local peace and stability.

According to initial reports from the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), the attack took place at approximately 6:25 a.m. near the town’s welcome rotunda in Barangay Poblacion, positioned directly in front of a local mosque.

A Philippine Army KM military truck carrying troops was traveling through the area when two unidentified individuals riding a motorcycle abruptly pulled alongside the vehicle. The passenger on the motorcycle lobbed a hand grenade directly toward the truck before the driver sped away from the scene into the surrounding area. The resulting detonation sent shrapnel ripping through the immediate vicinity.

The blast caused immediate chaos, injuring five individuals who were in close proximity to the explosion. Municipal disaster response units, firefighters, and local police forces arrived at the scene within minutes to secure the area and treat the wounded.

The explosion caused injuries to five individuals who were in close proximity to the blast. Inside the targeted military vehicle, two soldiers sustained minor shrapnel wounds, while three civilian bystanders near the town center roundabout were also caught in the fragmentation zone, suffering varying minor injuries.

All five victims were rushed to the Bangsamoro Regional Medical Center in Shariff Aguak for immediate medical attention. Hospital officials have stated that all the wounded are currently in stable condition and undergoing treatment.

Following the attack, police Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) and military bomb disposal experts cordoned off the roundabout to examine the blast site and recover explosive fragments.

Shariff Aguak Mayor Akmad Ampatuan strongly condemned the violent act and urged residents to stay calm while cooperating fully with law enforcement investigators. Authorities noted that the attack coincided with the third day of an official election gun ban implemented for the upcoming Bangsamoro parliamentary elections, making the presence of the explosive a severe breach of security.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the strike. Joint military checkpoints and police chokepoints have been established across Maguindanao del Sur as tactical units track down the motorcycle-riding suspects.