Gunmen attack guards in Cotabato hospital

COTABATO CITY, Philippines - Unidentified gunmen attacked on Tuesday night a security post in the tightly-guarded Cotabato Regional Medical Center (CRMC), seriously wounding three watchmen.

The two suspects, armed with .45 caliber pistols entered the premises of the hospital on board a motorcycle, parked for about five minutes in a dimly lit spot and then attacked from behind the unsuspecting guards watching people coming in from the CRMC’s entrance gate.

The injured security guards were identified as Amerudin Sumandal, Tasil Mohammad and Jahab Mohammad Abdullah.

As the guards lie wounded, one of the gunmen took one of the victims' assault rifle before the duo escaped.

Responding hospital personnel and other guards immediately rushed the victims to the CRMC’s emergency room for medication.

Senior Superintendent Rolen Balquin, director of the Cotabato City police, said they have yet to determine the identity of the assailants.

Balquin said that investigators are convined that the assailants real motive was just to take the guard's assault rifle.