Manila: Gunmen killed nine persons after stopping a group of motorcycle riders in a busy downtown area in the southern Philippines.
Police officials said the attack on the victims, who were mostly farmers in Kabacan town in Cotabato province may have been sparked by a local feud and was likely not an act of terrorism.
After getting off their motorcycles in the middle of the road, they were shot 39 times with rifles and pistols, police investigator Delir Parcon said.
According to police, eight of the victims were killed instantly and another died in a hospital.
The gunmen fled in a van. Police have interviewed witnesses and were looking for possible security camera footage that could help identify the attackers.