The military on Monday blamed the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group for twin explosions in Jolo, Sulu that killed 15 persons and wounded 76 soldiers and civilians.
It was in apparent retaliation for a manhunt on suspected bombers that led to the death of four Army agents at the hands of policemen in a controversial shooting last June, the regional military commander said.
The explosions happened around midday, around 100 meters apart, along Serrantes Street in Barangay Walled City in Jolo, near the local police station, authorities said.
Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan of the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) blamed the terrorist attack on Mundi Sawadjaan, a notorious ASG operator and cousin of Abu Sayyaf commander Hatib Sawadjaan, who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.
“We have been chasing Mundi Sawadjaan since May. He is the same bomber who executed the suicide bombing at the Jolo Cathedral and at the headquarters of the 1st Battalion Combat Team last year,” he said.
He also revealed that Sawadjaan and his group was the primary target of the four soldiers who were killed by policemen in a supposed shootout in Jolo last June 29.
“We were following their group, that's why four of our soldiers died. Their targets were the suicide bombers plus Mundi Sawadjaan,” Vinluan said.
In the second blast, a woman suicide bomber detonated her improvised explosive device in front of Army soldiers patrolling the busy streets of Jolo, he told reporters.
The first explosive was attached to a motorcycle parked outside a supermarket, Vinluan said.
The second blast went off a short time later in the same street when the female suicide attacker blew herself up as police cordoned off the area, killing one person and wounding around six officers, he added.
By WestMinCom's count, 48 civilians, nine policemen and 19 soldiers were wounded during the twin blasts that occurred near the Jolo Cathedral, the site of the January 2019 suicide bombing that left 20 people dead.
A soldier saw a person leave the motorbike outside the grocery store "where there were a lot of people," including members of the military. It immediately detonated, 11th Infantry Division spokesman Lt. Col. Ronaldo Mateo said, citing the local mayor.
"Our soldiers are conducting security operations. That was the time that the improvised explosive device detonated," he said.
A soldier had been trying to apprehend the bomber when she detonated her explosives, Mateo added.
The Palace condemned the attacks and vowed that the military would “crush” the bombers.
Palace spokesman Harry Roque extended condolences to the victims' families and called for justice to be served.
"This attack is even more horrific in the context of the pandemic, when the imperative is to pull together to address the damage already wrought on our health, economy, and way of life," Vice President Leni Robredo said.
"To kill in such a manner, in these times, regardless of motivation, is inhuman," she added.
The first bomb detonated before noon inside Paradise Food Shop beside the Syntax computer shop on Serrantes St., Barangay Walled City in Jolo, where a military truck was parked.
Initial army reports said the source of the first blast was a homemade bomb on a parked motorcycle.
The explosion damaged a food and computer store as well as two army trucks, the report said.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the blasts.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday advised the public to remain calm, vigilant and report any suspicious persons or activities.
This as military and police investigated the twin explosions
"We advise the public to stay calm but be vigilant to monitor and report any suspicious persons or items or unusual activities in the area," said AFP spokesman Marine Major Gen. Edgard Arevalo in a statement Monday.
As of press times, he said troops on the ground were evacuating and providing treatment for the casualties while securing the area.
"The 11th Infantry Division and the Joint Task Force Sulu are on high alert following this incident," Arevalo added.
Philippine National Police chief, Gen. Archie Gamboa, directed the Provincial Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region under Brig. Gen. Manuel Abu to secure the area and expedite the investigation.
Members of the Jolo Municipal Police Station immediately responded to the scene to evacuate the casualties and ensure the safety of other residents for possible secondary devices.
Police said the explosion occurred moments after an unidentified person parked a bomb-laden motorcycle beside an M35 truck of the Army’s 11th Infantry Division.
The explosion site is the usual place where the troops park their vehicle whenever they go on marketing duties.
The second explosion occurred around 1:06 p.m. just 100 meters away from the site of the first explosion.
Sonny Abing, Sulu provincial information officer, said those hit in the second bomb explosion were the responding soldiers and policemen.
Sen. Christopher Go also condemned the attacks. With AFP and PNA
