POLICE on Thursday said they have arrested two suspects in the Davao City night market bombing that left 14 people dead and wounded 70 others in September 2016.
The arrest comes three months after lawmen arrested four suspected members of the terrorist Maute group, also in relation to the Davao night market attack.
Senior Supt. Edilberto Leonardo, director for CIDG-Region 11, identified the suspects as Zack Haron Velasco Lopez, alias Herwin Madrona and Jessy Vincent Quinto Original.
They were arrested along San Pedro Street in Davao City at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.
The latest arrests bring to nine the number of Maute group suspects in a series of bomb attacks in different areas in Central Mindanao.
In December 2016, the Maute group tried to set off two separate bombs in Metro Manila—at the perimeter of the United States Embassy and at the Luneta Grandstand, but failed.
Police tracked down the bombers to their hideouts in Caloocan and Bulacan a week later.
The Maute group is also a suspect in the Leyte bombing that left dozens injured in Hilongos town.
In Smisip, Basilan, an officer was killed and four other soldiers were wounded in a clash with an undetermined number of Abu Sayyaf bandits.
Maj. Felimon Tan Jr., spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command, said the encounter occurred at around 7:10 a.m. in Barangay Cabcaban, and involved soldiers from the 19th Special Forces Company and 4th Special Forces Battalion.
Helicopter gunships were sent to the battle area to provide close support for the soldiers and to evacuate casualties.
More soldiers from different units were deployed to reinforce the troops.
Tan said the firefight raged for several hours until the late afternoon.
