Basilan roadside bombings injures soldier, mayor's bodyguard

COTABATO CITY - The driver-bodyguard of a town mayor and a soldier from the Philippine Army's Scout Ranger Regiment were wounded in a series of roadside explosions, in Tuburan, Basilan on Saturday.

 

Basilan provincial police commander, Senior Superintendent Nickson Muksan said the soldier was injured in the first explosion at around 10:15 a.m. in Sitio Sawite, Tuburan. 

 

This was followed by another explosion at around 2:45 p.m. in the same village. The second blast damaged a pick-up truck owned by Tuburan Mayor Durie Kallahal, and injured the pick-up's driver, who also functioned as the mayor's bodyguard. Kallahal has not aboard the truck at the time of the blast.

 

“We believe these [bombings] are the retaliation of the Abu Sayyaf Group to our intense operation against them this lately,” said Muksan. He added that the ASG leader behind the attacks was Furuji Indama.

 

“They are desperate now, they can no more operate in a wider spaces because of the help by locals pinpointing their hideouts,” the local police chief explained further.

 

Meanwhile, Western Mindanao Command spokesperson Major Jo-Ann Petinglay said the Scout Ranger soldier was injured near a military medical mission.

 

“The explosion happened several meters away from the medical outreach activity but what is disturbing, the road where the explosion happened is where civilian passes through,” Petinglay said.

 

She added that the second bomb was detonated as the military's bomb disposal team was clearing the area. “Our enemies had waited for this moment to hit us using the secondary bomb while our EOD team was conducting a clearing operation. Sadly, they hit the Mayor’s car,” Petinglay explained. — DVM, GMA News