Two casualties in Mindanao bomb blasts; military alert raised
Source: Businessworld online
ILIGAN CITY/ZAMBOANGA CITY — At least two people died from separate bomb blasts in Mindanao yesterday in a string of terrorist attacks on civilian areas.
Investigators look for evidence after a bomb blast at a commercial center in Jolo, Sulu province, on July 7. At least two people were killed and more than 40 others wounded by twin bomb blasts in the Philippines, Tuesday, in what officials described as coordinated attacks by bandits and Moro rebels. The first bomb exploded in a commercial area of Jolo. It was followed around two hours later by car bomb blast next to a parked military patrol jeep in Iligan City. — AFPField reports said two died in Jolo in the southwestern island-province of Sulu while 18 others were injured in Iligan City in Northern Mindanao, said Carmelito Lupo, regional disaster coordinating council chairman.
The explosions occurred two days after a powerful bomb exploded across a Catholic church in Cotabato City on Sunday, killing five people and wounding at least 40 others.
The Iligan incident was from a bomb planted inside a parked car that exploded at 10:40 a.m. as a military vehicle passed Sabayle St., wounding three soldiers.
Northern Mindanao police director Chief Superintendent Danilo T. Empredad said the region has been placed on heightened alert.
"We will continue with our counter-terrorism activities but we need the cooperation of citizens especially our barangay officials because this war involves all stakeholders," he told BusinessWorld.
A spokesman from the Iligan City Hospital said among the victims were a couple inside a jeepney and three passengers of a pedicab. Witnesses said the explosion was heard a kilometer away from the site.
Sabayle, where the old Gaisano Commercial store is located, is close to a pension house from where a bombing incident occurred last year.
Yesterday’s blast was the second in Iligan this year. The first incident in April heavily damaged Agus bridge outside the National Power Corp. compound.
In Jolo, the latest attack on a civilian area injured 29 people. Chief Inspector Usman Pingay, Jolo police chief, said they checked on a tip about a suspicious bag found 50 meters away from a Catholic church, only to be informed shortly before the blast that another bomb was found near a gas station about 100 meters away.
"The second bomb exploded immediately when my men arrived at the site. At least three responding policemen were critically wounded," he told BusinessWorld.
Mr. Pingay said the bomb, planted in a battery compartment of a motorcycle, exploded near Gotecleng Hardware along Gen. Arolas in downtown Jolo.
Jolo Mayor Hussin Amin said an emergency security meeting has been called to identify the culprit, adding the victims were bystanders and vendors.
Maj. Gen. Juancho M. Sabban, commander of Joint Task Force Comet in Sulu, said the Abu Sayyaf, which is still holding Red Cross worker Eugenio Vagni of Italy, could be responsible for the attack in retaliation to the military’s stepped-up campaign against the bandits.
The military, which blamed Moro rebels for the blasts in Central Mindanao, has warned of more bomb attacks as part a strategy to divert attention from ongoing operation against Moro rebels.
"With respect to recent spate of bombings in Christian areas, what can we achieve from that? Can we get sympathy from the international community and from our own people out of that? Can these bombings contribute to the popularity of the MILF?" Mohagher Iqbal, MILF’s chief negotiator said.
Members of civil society groups in Mindanao have called for authorities to arrest the culprits.
Amina B. Rasul, director of the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy, said the resumption of peace between the government and MILF is crucial to stopping all aggression, and to allow the International Monitoring Team and local peacekeeping teams to investigate ceasefire violations.
Clashes have been more frequent in Central Mindanao as Moro rebels continue to fight government troops as peace talks broke down following last year’s botched territorial deal that would have given Muslims wider and broader powers to govern in an expanded Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The military has also ramped up efforts against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu. — Darwin T. Wee, Mara S. Nanaman and Geefe P. Alba
ILIGAN CITY/ZAMBOANGA CITY — At least two people died from separate bomb blasts in Mindanao yesterday in a string of terrorist attacks on civilian areas.
Investigators look for evidence after a bomb blast at a commercial center in Jolo, Sulu province, on July 7. At least two people were killed and more than 40 others wounded by twin bomb blasts in the Philippines, Tuesday, in what officials described as coordinated attacks by bandits and Moro rebels. The first bomb exploded in a commercial area of Jolo. It was followed around two hours later by car bomb blast next to a parked military patrol jeep in Iligan City. — AFP
The explosions occurred two days after a powerful bomb exploded across a Catholic church in Cotabato City on Sunday, killing five people and wounding at least 40 others.
The Iligan incident was from a bomb planted inside a parked car that exploded at 10:40 a.m. as a military vehicle passed Sabayle St., wounding three soldiers.
Northern Mindanao police director Chief Superintendent Danilo T. Empredad said the region has been placed on heightened alert.
"We will continue with our counter-terrorism activities but we need the cooperation of citizens especially our barangay officials because this war involves all stakeholders," he told BusinessWorld.
A spokesman from the Iligan City Hospital said among the victims were a couple inside a jeepney and three passengers of a pedicab. Witnesses said the explosion was heard a kilometer away from the site.
Sabayle, where the old Gaisano Commercial store is located, is close to a pension house from where a bombing incident occurred last year.
Yesterday’s blast was the second in Iligan this year. The first incident in April heavily damaged Agus bridge outside the National Power Corp. compound.
In Jolo, the latest attack on a civilian area injured 29 people. Chief Inspector Usman Pingay, Jolo police chief, said they checked on a tip about a suspicious bag found 50 meters away from a Catholic church, only to be informed shortly before the blast that another bomb was found near a gas station about 100 meters away.
"The second bomb exploded immediately when my men arrived at the site. At least three responding policemen were critically wounded," he told BusinessWorld.
Mr. Pingay said the bomb, planted in a battery compartment of a motorcycle, exploded near Gotecleng Hardware along Gen. Arolas in downtown Jolo.
Jolo Mayor Hussin Amin said an emergency security meeting has been called to identify the culprit, adding the victims were bystanders and vendors.
Maj. Gen. Juancho M. Sabban, commander of Joint Task Force Comet in Sulu, said the Abu Sayyaf, which is still holding Red Cross worker Eugenio Vagni of Italy, could be responsible for the attack in retaliation to the military’s stepped-up campaign against the bandits.
The military, which blamed Moro rebels for the blasts in Central Mindanao, has warned of more bomb attacks as part a strategy to divert attention from ongoing operation against Moro rebels.
Denial
This was denied by leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). "With respect to recent spate of bombings in Christian areas, what can we achieve from that? Can we get sympathy from the international community and from our own people out of that? Can these bombings contribute to the popularity of the MILF?" Mohagher Iqbal, MILF’s chief negotiator said.
Members of civil society groups in Mindanao have called for authorities to arrest the culprits.
Amina B. Rasul, director of the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy, said the resumption of peace between the government and MILF is crucial to stopping all aggression, and to allow the International Monitoring Team and local peacekeeping teams to investigate ceasefire violations.
Clashes have been more frequent in Central Mindanao as Moro rebels continue to fight government troops as peace talks broke down following last year’s botched territorial deal that would have given Muslims wider and broader powers to govern in an expanded Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The military has also ramped up efforts against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu. — Darwin T. Wee, Mara S. Nanaman and Geefe P. Alba
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