A TOTAL of 22 people, most of them youths, were injured after a grenade exploded inside a family compound in Purok Ipil-Ipil, Brgy. Dalapitan, Matalam, around midnight during New Year celebrations.
Based on an initial report from the Matalam Municipal Police Station, residents of the Alejo family compound were gathered to welcome the New Year when an explosive device believed to be a grenade suddenly detonated.
Witnesses told police that the grenade was allegedly thrown by still unidentified suspects riding a motorcycle, who fled the scene after the explosion.
The injured victims were rushed to different hospitals in the nearby town of M’lang to receive medical treatment.
Police and military units have launched pursuit and dragnet operations to track down the suspects, coordinating with neighboring towns as part of the ongoing manhunt.
Authorities said a thorough investigation is underway to determine the motive behind the attack and identify those responsible.
