ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/10 April) – Troops foiled Friday an attempt by suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits to set off an improvised bomb in Jolo, Sulu, a military official said.
Capt. Maria Rowena Muyuela, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) information officer, said a cellphone-triggered improvised bomb placed beside a videoke house located 50 meters away from the main gate of the 2nd Marine Brigade Headquarters was discovered early Friday in Barangay Busbus, Jolo.
Muyuela said the bomb was discovered after a civilian informed the sentinel at the gate that a suspicious baggage was left around 6:10 a.m. Friday by unidentified persons beside the videoke house.
She said explosive ordnance demolition (EOD) teams of the Marines and Army inspected the area and found the IED.
She said the EOD teams successfully disrupted the IED around 8:05 a.m. Friday.
She added the EOD teams recovered a tank of a gas stove filled with ammonium nitrate, a nine-volt battery and a cellular phone.
The military has launched an offensive against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu.
On Thursday, six suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits and two soldiers were killed while 25 others were wounded in a two-hour firefight in Sitio Kan-Amat, Barangay Gata, Talipao, Sulu.
Of the 25 wounded, 15 are soldiers and the remaining 10 are Abu Sayyaf bandits. (MindaNews)
