22 hurt in Cotabato New Year's Eve grenade attack

Twenty-two people, including children, were injured when two men on a motorcycle threw a fragmentation grenade at a New Year's Eve party in Barangay Dalapitan, Matalam, Cotabato.

The suspects hurled the explosive at the roadside party at about midnight on December 31, then set off firecrackers and motored away.

The victims sustained shrapnel wounds and were transported to hospitals for treatment.

Cotabato Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza condemned the attack and urged local officials and residents to help identify the perpetrators.

The provincial government will provide the victims essential support needed for their treatment.

Intelligence officers from the Cotabato police will help the Matalam police probe the incident.

Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage and police are working to apprehend the suspects, but the motive for the attack has yet to be determined.