Army chief says Mundi Sawadjaan brains behind Jolo twin blasts

The Philippine Army has pointed to Abu Sayyaf member Mundi Sawadjaan as the mastermind in Monday's bombing attacks in Jolo, Sulu, that left 15 people dead and over 70 others injured.

"Si Mundi talaga 'yung brain ng suicide bombing diyan. Na-transfer 'yung knowledge sa kaniya from the foreign terrorists na nagtuturo ng bombing before," Philippine Army chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana told GMA News Online on Tuesday.

Western Mindanao Command chief Major General Corleto Vinluan had earlier said Mundi was involved in the previous bombings in the towns of Jolo and Indanan.

According to Sobejana, Mundi was a relative of Hatib Sawadjaan who is a leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group and was previously declared as the new ISIS emir in the Philippines.

The military said those killed in the bombings were seven soldiers, one police officer, six civilians, and the female suicide bomber who triggered the second explosion. —KBK, GMA News