Casualties reported as bomb attack hits Sultan Kudarat
Credit to Author: AL JACINTO, TMT| Date: Wed, 03 Apr 2019 09:52:50 +0000
ZAMBOANGA CITY – A bomb attack hit a town in Sultan Kudarat on Wednesday, with unconfirmed reports of two children dead and the number of casualties ranging from 6 to 17.
Mayor Marites Pallasigue of Isulan said the blast occurred outside the Carlito’s Chicken along the highway. “As of this moment meron tayong 6 na wounded at dinala sa iba’t ibang ospital dito sa probinsya ng Sultan Kudarat,” she said without elaborating further.
(. . . we have 6 wounded and they were brought to different hospitals here in the province of Sultan Kudarat.)
Maj. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Philippine Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said 17 people were injured in the incident that happened at 3:15 p.m. in the restaurant on Barangay Kalawag 2.
Police identified the victims as Randy Tranquillero, Guiamedel Norhana, Datu Joven Guiamedel, Tristan Casipe, Dan Laguerder, Karl Denver Laguerder, Cyril Gubal Dela Cerna, Watchel Dela Cerna, Sylyka Falcoagpet, Masunlog Motaser Masunlog, Nasser Masunlog, Malidas Bai Ali Mindal Daguma, Malidas Midatu Mindal, Johnmark Sumandal, Cheche Malida, Johny Garcia, and Jenny Pabagaman.
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal is currently conducting a safety procedure while the post-blast investigation is still in progress. Security in the town was tightened after the explosion.
Pallasigue said there was no intelligence report of an imminent attack or terror threat in Isulan. “Wala kahit ano, walang threat, wala lahat, walang intel report kahit na ano sa amin,” she said, adding that her town is generally peaceful, although an IS bombing on August 28, 2018 killed two people and left at least three dozen others wounded.
(None whatsoever. No threat. Nothing. No intel report to us.)
“Generally, our place is peaceful. I don’t know what happened or why this is happening to our place now,” she said.
Former presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza, in his Facebook account, said two children were killed in the powerful explosion. “Two kids already confirmed dead! Gov. Pax Mangudadatu just informed me. He is now rushing from GenSan to the site,” he wrote.
A video posted on Facebook showed civilians running and screaming as black smoke billowed in front of the restaurant. The clip, recorded from a cell phone by another civilian, can be viewed here:https://www.facebook.com/jomayma.santiago.1/videos/340377610166510/?t=99.
No individual or group claimed responsibility for the attack, but the previous motorcycle bombing was claimed by IS, according to SITE Intelligence.
The blast coincided with the town’s 61st founding anniversary and occurred while the whole region was under martial rule. The motorcycle was parked along the highway near several shops in Kalawag village when it exploded around 8:30 p.m. and two other improvised explosives were recovered not far from the area.
At least 35 people wounded in the blast were rushed to hospitals. And an adult and child died from the bombing.
The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters or BIFF whose leaders have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, also claimed responsibility for last year’s attack in the town. The BIFF, whose members were mostly former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters, is one of several pro-IS militant groups fighting for the establishment of a caliphate in Mindanao.
Security forces have been fighting militant groups in the southern region the past years. The blast occurred following President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to the armed forces to crush terrorism. ROY NARRA
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