Blast rocks Maguindanao, gov’t forces foil bombing try in Sultan Kudarat

COTABATO CITY  – A loud explosion rocked a remote village in Maguindanao Monday night while soldiers and police manning checkpoints in Sultan Kudarat foiled bombing try hours earlier.

“No one was hurt in the blast,” Army Lt. Colonel Roberto Breboneria, 6^th Infantry Division spokesperson, said of the 7 p.m. explosion that occurred in Barangay Kiteb, Datu Anggal Midtimbang, Maguindanao.

Breboneria said another bomb was found nearby by bomb experts who conducted post blast probe. 

The second bomb was believed to be a secondary bomb to be set off by the suspects while bomb experts were conducting investigation.

“The second bomb did not explode and was safely disposed by experts,” he said in a radio interview.

No one has claimed ownership of the explosives but Breboneria said these could be owned or manufactured by outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) that they would set off in civilian areas or military installations.

Meanwhile, the Army’s 2^nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion and policemen prevented a bombing attempt in Lambayong town on Monday morning.

Police Lieutenant Gino Fegarido, chief of Lambayong PNP, said joint police and soldiers were conducting checkpoint along the national highway in Barangay Tinumigues when they noticed two men on motorbike avoided the law enforcers at about 6 a.m.

“They re-routed and dropped a sack along the road then sped away,” Fegarido said. 

When checked by soldiers and police, the sack contained an improvised bomb made of live 81 mm mortar and a mobile phone as triggering device. 

The explosive was safely recovered by Army ordnance and disposal team.

Like in Maguindanao, no one has claimed ownership of the IED but Fegarido believed the BIFF was responsible in transporting the mortar round.

The town of Lambayong is situated beside Maguindanao where most of the IEDs that were set off in Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato emanate.