ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 28 Oct) – Two people were lucky enough to escape unscathed on Tuesday in a roadside bombing perpetrated by suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu, a top military official said.
Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado, Joint Task Group Sulu commander, said the incident occurred around 2:50 p.m. along the road known to locals as Daan Puti in Sitio Halaw, Barangay Latih, Patikul.
Arrojado identified the two as Mandi Ammang, 42; and Wahab Amisali, 43, both residents of Sitio Halaw, Barangay Latih.
Arrojado said investigation showed they accidentally stepped on a trip-wire, which triggered the explosion of three improvised bombs fashioned as landmines.
Arrojado said luckily both Ammang and Amisali were unharmed during the explosion.
He said policemen and a Marine explosive ordnance demolition (EOD) team proceeded to conduct post-blast investigation and cleared the place for safe passage.
Arrojado said the main target of the Abu Sayyaf in laying the improvised bombs are the government troops passing Daan Puti, especially during early morning jogging.
He said the troops had been alerted to adopt precautionary measures.
Arrojado said they have received report that the improvised bombs were placed along Daan Puti by the group of Abu Sayyaf leader Nammil Ahadjiri.
Arrojado earlier said the threat of the Abu Sayyaf to stage bombings remains high.
The Joint Task Force Sulu conducted disruption procedure on an abandoned “suspicious item wrapped in a sack of rice” on Monday night but it turned out to be containing garbage.
Arrojado said the abandoned item was recovered at the back of the a school around 70 meters away from a Marine checkpoint following a report from a pedicab driver around 9:30 p.m. Monday along Airport Road, Barangay Busbus, Jolo, Sulu.
Arrojado said the item might have been intentionally placed near the checkpoint to test the reaction of the Marine troops.
