ZAMBOANGA -- A military official said Thursday gunmen opened fire in a commuter bus killing two and wounding eight passengers in Zamboanga del Norte.

Western Mindanao Command (Wesmicom) spokesman Major Ramon David Hontiveros said the incident happened around 3 a.m. Wednesday in Salvador village, Gutalac, Zamboanga del Norte.

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Hontiveros said the bus was traveling from Gutalac to Dipolog City, the capital of Zamboanga del Norte, when a group of unidentified gunmen staged the surprise attack in the vicinity of Canuto Elementary School.

No identities of the victims, who are all passengers of Alga Bus Lines, were immediately available.

It was not clear who was responsible for the attack. The unidentified gunmen fled to unknown direction, leaving behind empty bullet shells, he said.

Two passengers died and the wounded victims were treated in a district hospital in Liloy town, Zamboanga del Norte.

Hontiveros said responding lawmen have recovered several empty shells of M-16 Armalite and M-14 rifles at the ambush site.

Police and military in Zamboanga del Norte are conducting deep investigation to unmask the suspects, the spokesman added. (Bong Garcia/AP/Sunnex)