Cotabato City”•The chief minister of the newly formed Bangsamoro Government said he was committed to “assist our law enforcement agencies in pursuing the perpetrators” of the suicide bomb attack in Indanan, Sulu, on Friday last week.
“I am personally outraged by the supposed suicide bombing incident in Indanan, Sulu, last June 28, and I am committed to assist our law enforcement agencies in pursuing the perpetrators, Chief Minister Ahod Al-Hadj Murad Ebrahim of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao told the local press.
He described the attack as “atrocious” and called on the local leaders to be united in the fight against violent armed groups in their respective places.
The leader of the so-called Jeo-JI who was arrested last weekend in Jakarta communicated with terror networks in the Philippines and Al Qaida affiliated networks in Pakistan and Afghanistan, Indonesian police said.
This adds a worrisome new wrinkle in Filipino authorities’ efforts to fight the remnants of the Jemaah Islamiah and other extremist groups, just days after suicide bombers blew up a military camp in Indanan, Sulu, last week, leaving eight people dead and at least 22 injured.
Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte has conferred the Order of Lapu-Lapu to the 12 soldiers who were injured in the attack carried out by suspected Abu Sayyaf terrorists.
At the same time, the President donned the new insignia, a three-star rank, on Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, the newly installed Western Mindanao Command chief, during his visit Wednesday to the Westmincom headquarters in Zamboanga City.
The BARMM Regional Police Office has reported that at about 12:10 pm of June 28, the tactical command post in Manpower in Indanan, Sulu, was attacked by two alleged suicide bombers.
Sobejana has confirmed the incident was a case of suicide bombing which, he said, was the first of its kind in the country.
Murad said: It was a senseless act of terror as the attack inflicted multiple casualties and injuries to innocent civilians. We condemn that act as contrary to cherished human values such as the sanctity and protection of lives, properties, and peaceful living.
“Even as we seek justice for the victims, let us take this sad moment to reiterate our resolve to do whatever is necessary and possible so that real and sustainable peace can be achieved in the Bangsamoro, Murad said.
“We condole with the families of the victims, and we are one with them in the search for justice and an end to this kind of violence.