MILF official Buntok Utap killed in gun attack near school

Gunmen shot and killed a senior MILF official, Buntok Utap, near an elementary school in Barangay Penadtaban, Rajah Buayan, Maguindanao del Sur, on Monday morning.

Utap was the commander of the MILF's 106th Base Command and died instantly from gunshot wounds to his head and four other parts of his body while eating at a bakery about 100 meters away from Dansalan Elementary School.

A woman nearby sustained injuries from a stray bullet during the attack and is currently undergoing treatment in an undisclosed hospital.

The killing occurred just three weeks after Utap and his rival, Barangay Chairman Norodin Utto Jr., had been reconciled by Army officials and local leaders on July 10.

Utap's death reignites tensions in Rajah Buayan, where political rivalries and territorial disputes have led to violent clashes between groups led by Utap and Utto, displacing many villagers.

Police are pursuing armed men who shot dead Utap just 11 days after he signed a peace agreement ending years of rido (family feud) with another MILF leader.

The motive and identity of the attackers remain under investigation.