Maguindanao del sur: A man allegedly carrying shabu and a pistol was shot and critically injured in an ambush along the national highway in Maguindanao del Sur on Thursday morning. The victim, identified as Aldren Arendain Almento, 41, of General Santos City, is now undergoing treatment at a hospital here.

According to Philippines News Agency, Lt. Col. Jopy Ventura, spokesperson for the police in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), stated that Almento was driving a Toyota Innova when unidentified gunmen ambushed him past 9 a.m. along the national highway in Barangay Tulunan, Datu Anggal Midtimbang town. Ventura mentioned that the motive for the attack and the identities of the attackers are still being determined.

Responding police officers from nearby Talayan, also in Maguindanao del Sur, rushed the victim to a hospital in Cotabato City. Ventura reported that the police found suspected shabu, a pistol, ammunition, and the victim's personal belongings inside the vehicle.