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Philippine troops foil bomb threat in Sulu

Philippine government troops foiled a bomb threat recently after they found homemade explosives along the main road in Jolo, Sulu, a report reaching the headquarters of the Armed Forces Southern Command said Monday.

The improvised explosive device was fashioned from a radio planted on a roadside near Bud Datu. It was recovered by a team of military bomb experts based on the information of a child who reported of having found a bomb along the road.

Major Gamal Hayudini, Southcom spokesman, said that upon the receipt of information, a team from the Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) was dispatched to the area to disarm the homemade bomb.

Investigators said there could have been a powerful explosion if the child touched the explosive. They suspect it was meant to disrupt the on going humanitarian assistance of the AFP and U.S. forces in the area.

Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Alexander Aleo, head of the Joint Task force Comet, called on the people to be vigilant against terrorism. “If anyone sees a strange or unknown object, they should stay away from it, and report it to the nearest PNP or AFP personnel.”

The bomb was found a month after a blast ripped through a videoke bar near the Army’s 104th Brigade headquarters in Jolo, killing a security driver of the US civic military forces for the Balikatan exercises and injuring 24 other people.

No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack, but police and military suspect the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf terror group could be responsible for the foiled bomb attack.

Last February, suspected Abu Sayyaf group fired two rounds of rifle grenade near a military post in Jolo’s Mount Karawan and killed a police officer and beheaded a civilian in downtown area.

Washington listed the Abu Sayyaf as a foreign terrorist organization and offered as much as $5-million bounty for the capture of group’s known leaders. (ZS)