Boat clash near Hadji Muhtamad kills 3, injures 2

Three people died and two others were injured in a predawn boat clash near Hadji Muhtamad town on Monday morning, hours before the start of elections.

Murasidul Kidong Abduarahman, Samier Allil Jamiri, and Ben Bakil lost their lives when their motorboat was attacked by armed men near Sangbay Big Island at around 1:45 a.m.

The victims were part of Jamar Mansul's mayoral campaign convoy traveling from Dansalan.

Police Chief Maj. Nursaibar Mahadi reported that his patrol team engaged eight attackers in a five-minute firefight after the assailants refused to stop for inspection when flagged down by police officers conducting a maritime patrol.

Two supporters, Haber and Zaldy Alih, were hospitalized following the incident.

Mansul's wife Hanah confirmed her husband escaped unharmed while serving as mayor from 2013 to 2019 and running again in this election, denying that their group was armed and asserting that the attack was an ambush by another armed group.