Around 20 fishermen were killed when gunmen opened fire on three boats off Sibago island in Basilan, a fort of Muslim rebels, on Monday the possible reason of which pointing to an ongoing fishing turf rivalry.
Three other men were wounded in the incident. Several suspects have already been identified, but no one has been arrested yet. About 10 attackers are suspected of involvement in the incident.
The fishermen, who were residents of Pagadian City, were aboard three wooden vessels off Sibago island in Basilan when gunmen in speedboats opened fire.
A survivor reportedly told police that they had been warned to stay out of the area where the attack occurred.
It should be known that Basilan serves as a base for Islamist militants and rebel groups in the country. It is also an area engulfed by high incidences of kidnap-for-ransom activities, with foreigners usually being the target.
However, the possibility of Islamist militants being involved in the incident had so far been dismissed.
With supporting sreports from Inquirer.net
