Terror has taken hold in Ambonivato Ivoloina. Around midnight, a dozen armed bandits attacked three homes where a man and his wife were shot dead in the head.

The gendarmes in 4x4s, identified as the perpetrators of the shooting, filmed by a surveillance camera.

A night of horror struck the peaceful village of Ambonivato Ivoloina, in the Toamasina II district, around midnight the night before yesterday. A gang of about ten hooded and heavily armed criminals stormed three successive homes, sowing panic and devastation among the residents.

According to initial information gathered from local authorities, the assailants burst into the homes in the middle of the night, using force and brutally abusing the victims. One couple was executed in cold blood, each shot in the head, killing them instantly. The head of the family and his wife were found lying in their home in a pool of blood, watched helplessly by neighbors who arrived too late.

In another targeted home, a woman suffered violent abuse. Brutally beaten, she suffered serious knee injuries as well as multiple bruises and lesions. She was immediately taken to a hospital, where she is currently receiving the necessary care. Brutality

Settling of scores

After their murderous attack, the bandits fled into the night, leaving behind the couple's lifeless bodies and the injured victim. Disturbingly, no significant material loss appears to have been recorded, nor were any of the valuables or cash usually sought by such gangs. This detail reinforces the theory of a settling of scores put forward by some of the victims' relatives.

The Defense and Security Forces went to the scene to establish the facts, open an investigation, and launch a search to find the perpetrators. To date, no arrests or specific information about the attackers have been released.

The bodies of the victims were returned to their families for funerals, while the village remains in shock. The terrified population is calling for increased security to prevent such tragedies from happening again.