From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 6): Army, PNP point to BIFF in North Cotabato town bombing
Police and military officials here said the bombing here Wednesday night was perpetrated by renegade Muslim rebels from Maguindanao to sow terror.
Colonel Dickson Hermoso, 6th Infantry Division spokesperson, citing intelligence reports, said sympathizers of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) wanted to avenge the death of their comrades by attacking non-combatants.
Hermoso stressed the composition of improvised bomb, an 81 mm mortar with mobile phone as trigger mechanism, was the signature of the BIFF that they use whenever they suffered casualties in Army offensives.
A security guard and bystander were slightly hurt when the bomb planted at a road side fronting a variety store selling liquefied petroleum gas, went off at about 8:00 p.m.
Newly promoted police Supt. Jordine Maribojo, chief of the Kabacan police, said there were indications that the bombers had planned to set off a fire by setting off the IED in front of the LPG dealer.
Police investigators said the suspects had originally planned to cause damages to a line of business establishments but decided to change decision when they saw blue guards nearby.
Blast victims, Rico Salve, security guard of the Sugni Superstore, and Gil John Pamulera, have been pronounced out of danger although they sustained minor shrapnel injuries.
“It was in retaliation for the military’s liberation from BIFF control of the group’s enclaves in the towns of Datu Piang and Shariff Saidona (both in Maguindanao) last week,” Hermoso said.
More than 50 BIFF bandits were killed in the takeover of the BIFF camps, which lasted from January 27 until February 2.
Kabacan is situated beside Maguindanao where the Operation Darkhorse was launched by the Army.
Suspected BIFF members also attempted to set off bombs in front of the Kabacan water district.
Captain Tony Bulao, spokesman of the Army’s 602nd Brigade, said the IED that was to be used in the bombing was found by passersby and was, subsequently, deactivated by police and Army bomb experts.
Since the fighting erupted in Maguindanao, the Army's 602nd Brigade has beefed up security in Kabacan and surrounding towns to prevent possible retaliatory attacks by the BIFF.
More Army and police checkpoints have been set up. Government forces manning these checkpoints also seized motorcycles without registration documents and drivers without licenses.
Since the fighting began in Maguindanao, about six IEDs were set off by suspected BIFF in Datu Piang, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Guindulungan, Mamasapano, Datu Paglas, all in Maguindanao and inCotabato City
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=613284
Police and military officials here said the bombing here Wednesday night was perpetrated by renegade Muslim rebels from Maguindanao to sow terror.
Colonel Dickson Hermoso, 6th Infantry Division spokesperson, citing intelligence reports, said sympathizers of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) wanted to avenge the death of their comrades by attacking non-combatants.
Hermoso stressed the composition of improvised bomb, an 81 mm mortar with mobile phone as trigger mechanism, was the signature of the BIFF that they use whenever they suffered casualties in Army offensives.
A security guard and bystander were slightly hurt when the bomb planted at a road side fronting a variety store selling liquefied petroleum gas, went off at about 8:00 p.m.
Newly promoted police Supt. Jordine Maribojo, chief of the Kabacan police, said there were indications that the bombers had planned to set off a fire by setting off the IED in front of the LPG dealer.
Police investigators said the suspects had originally planned to cause damages to a line of business establishments but decided to change decision when they saw blue guards nearby.
Blast victims, Rico Salve, security guard of the Sugni Superstore, and Gil John Pamulera, have been pronounced out of danger although they sustained minor shrapnel injuries.
“It was in retaliation for the military’s liberation from BIFF control of the group’s enclaves in the towns of Datu Piang and Shariff Saidona (both in Maguindanao) last week,” Hermoso said.
More than 50 BIFF bandits were killed in the takeover of the BIFF camps, which lasted from January 27 until February 2.
Kabacan is situated beside Maguindanao where the Operation Darkhorse was launched by the Army.
Suspected BIFF members also attempted to set off bombs in front of the Kabacan water district.
Captain Tony Bulao, spokesman of the Army’s 602nd Brigade, said the IED that was to be used in the bombing was found by passersby and was, subsequently, deactivated by police and Army bomb experts.
Since the fighting erupted in Maguindanao, the Army's 602nd Brigade has beefed up security in Kabacan and surrounding towns to prevent possible retaliatory attacks by the BIFF.
More Army and police checkpoints have been set up. Government forces manning these checkpoints also seized motorcycles without registration documents and drivers without licenses.
Since the fighting began in Maguindanao, about six IEDs were set off by suspected BIFF in Datu Piang, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Guindulungan, Mamasapano, Datu Paglas, all in Maguindanao and in
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=613284