MANILA, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Three gunmen in an ambush targeting a town mayor in Maguindanao del Sur province in the southern Philippines were killed, while two of the mayor's security escorts were injured in the attack on Sunday, police said.

Police said the ambush occurred on early Sunday morning as the mayor of Shariff Aguak town was traveling in his bulletproof vehicle. The mayor was uninjured.

The mayor's backup vehicle was also riddled with bullets during the attack, police added.

According to investigators, the suspects were on board a white minivan when they opened fire on the two-car convoy.

Authorities launched a pursuit operation that resulted in a brief firefight, resulting in the deaths of the three suspects. High-powered firearms were recovered from the minivan, police said.

The Shariff Aguak mayor has survived two assassination attempts in the past five years, according to local media reports, underscoring persistent security concerns in the area. ■