5 Wounded in Maguindanao del Sur Grenade Attack on Army Convoy

Courtesy: VM Hadji Oping Ampatuan

Military and police forces across the Bangsamoro region have been placed on heightened alert as investigations intensify into a weekend grenade attack that wounded two Army Scout Rangers and three civilians along a national highway.

The early morning assault on July 18, 2026, took place in front of a grand mosque near the welcome roundabout in Barangay Mother Poblacion, SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao del Sur. It marked a violent defiance of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) gun ban, which took effect just days prior on July 16 ahead of the historic September 14 parliamentary elections.

The Ambush at the Roundabout

According to reports from the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), troops from the 4th Scout Ranger Company under the 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion were traversing the Cotabato City–Isulan Highway in a KM450 military truck at around 6:30 a.m..

Two unidentified men riding tandem on a black motorcycle tailed the convoy. As they cut through the traffic, one of the suspects threw a hand grenade at the military vehicle.

The explosive missed the truck's rear cargo deck, landed on the side of the road, and detonated. Witnesses reported hearing a brief exchange of gunfire immediately after the blast, causing widespread panic among local residents.

Victims and Casualties

The blast sprayed shrapnel across the highway, injuring both military personnel and nearby commuters. The wounded individuals were identified as:

• Corporal Jessie Jay H. Bulanay (Army Scout Ranger)
• Corporal Arnel C. Calapan (Army Scout Ranger)
• John Dave Usman Santiago (Civilian, 38)
• Bassir Amban Batong (Civilian, 33)
• Pamiya Upam Bulingkig (Civilian, 24)

Emergency units dispatched by Shariff Aguak Mayor Akmad Ampatuan rushed the five victims to the Bangsamoro Regional Hospital and Medical Center in Datu Hoffer Ampatuan town, where they are currently being treated for non-life-threatening shrapnel wounds.

Spillover Violence and Suspected Motives

The Joint Task Force Central noted that this ambush was not an isolated security breach. Within 12 hours of the Shariff Aguak bombing, a separate motorcycle-riding suspect hurled another grenade at a detachment belonging to the 7th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Macaguiling, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte. No casualties were reported in the second blast.

Lt. Col. Ronald Suscano, spokesperson for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (6ID), linked the sudden wave of violence to ongoing military pressures against localized terror groups. Intelligence indicators point toward remnants of the Dawlah Islamiya or factions of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) acting in retaliation. Both groups suffered heavy losses earlier this year, with over 30 operatives killed during targeted counter-terrorism operations in the province.

Manhunt and Election Security Adjustments

A massive manhunt is underway across both Maguindanao provinces. Investigators recovered a grenade safety lever from the scene and the 6ID has publicly broadcast CCTV footage capturing the two suspects—who were seen wearing black and green shirts with denim jeans fleeing on a motorcycle.

The timing of the attack has amplified security concerns among local non-governmental monitors regarding the safety of the upcoming political cycle. Official campaigning for the region's first-ever parliamentary elections is legally set to open on July 30.

In response, the military and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have drastically increased checkpoint frequencies along major highway arteries and expanded troop presence in designated electoral hot spots to guarantee public safety.

UPDATED: 10:02 AM, July 22, 2026