Saudi killed, wife injured in Philippines attack

Cairo: A Saudi man was killed and his wife injured after an unknown person had shot at them on a road in the Philippines, the Saudi embassy in Manila has said.

The shooting occurred as the couple were driving in the area of Shariff Aguak, the province of Maguindanao del Sur in southern Philippines, the embassy added in a statement on its X account.

The mission said it is closely following up the condition of the injured wife who was transferred to a hospital near the scene of the incident.

“The embassy would like to stress that it is currently coordinating with the competent Philippine authorities to repatriate the deceased man’s body to the kingdom,” it added.

The Philippine news agency (PNA) reported Wednesday that the couple were ambushed Tuesday night and that local police were tracking down two men riding a motorbike suspected of mounting the attack.

Major Haron Macabanding, the town police chief, identified the Saudi man as Sulaiman Jamal, 50, and his injured wife as Bainot, 45, both residents of Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur, the agency said.

Jamal, who was driving his pickup truck, was killed on the spot while his wife sustained gunshot wounds in the body during the attack, according to the police official.

The wife’s brother who was seated in the back seat was unharmed and rushed his injured sister to a provincial hospital aboard a tricycle, PNA said.

The couple had just visited a farm lot they recently purchased in neighbouring Barangay Labu-Labu, Datu Hofer town, and was heading for home Tuesday evening when they were ambushed by the gunmen, it added.

Initial investigation revealed that the gunmen were seen tailing the truck and ambushed it.

The motive for the attack and identities of the assailants are unclear yet.