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COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 26 November) – An improvised explosive device (IED) went off at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, destroying a portion of the wooden perimeter fence of the main sentry gate of the 6th Civil Military Operations (CMO) Battalion at PC Hill here.
The blast along Veterans Avenue, the fourth to have rocked the city since Nov. 14, occurred at a busy time for commuters, motorists and pedestrians but no one was injured and damage was minimal, police said.
Quoting initial investigation results, Senior Insp. Lorenzo Henares, police station 1 chief, said two men riding on a motorbike and a white car were seen passing by the gate shortly before the blast. A man was also seen running away seconds before the explosion.
“We are still investigating… we are following up several leads,” Henares said.
Explosives experts have yet to determine what kind of IED was used by the suspects.
The Army Special Forces Battalion said today’s blast was the fourth since the grenade attack at the compound of Cotabato Light and Power Company, the blast along Sinsuat Avenue corner Rosales Street, and the discovery of a live hand grenade in front of Cafe Florencio Bingo center, also along Sinsuat Avenue.