Policemen take cover Friday, Jan. 04, 2008 as a bomb expert prepare to disrupt a suspected IED in Cotabato City in southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service/Mark Navales)
COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 04, 2008) – Philippine security forces detonated a homemade bomb left near a Catholic school in Cotabato City in Mindanao, officials said.
Officials said the bomb, placed inside a doughnut box, was left near the Notre Dame University. Police said a witness saw a man left the box on a sidewalk and hurriedly took a passenger jeep.
The witness, who was suspicious of the man, informed the police about the box which turned to contain a suspected improvised explosive device.
“The bomb was immediately detonated,” one police officer told the Mindanao Examiner.
The discovery of the bomb came barely a day after an IED, planted at pub in Cotabato City, exploded and killed a woman and injured seven people. No group claimed responsibility for the bombing.
It was unknown if the attack or the foiled bombing had anything to do with the capture of a local militant whose group called al-Khobar is blamed by authorities for the spate of bombings and extortion activities in Mindanao.
Security forces arrested Tony Nur, believed to be a nom de guerre, in Maguindanao province on Thursday. Nur was tagged as behind the series of attacks in Maguindanao and North Cotabato provinces, including the spate of bombings in Kidapawan City.
Officials said the bomb, placed inside a doughnut box, was left near the Notre Dame University. Police said a witness saw a man left the box on a sidewalk and hurriedly took a passenger jeep.
The witness, who was suspicious of the man, informed the police about the box which turned to contain a suspected improvised explosive device.
“The bomb was immediately detonated,” one police officer told the Mindanao Examiner.
The discovery of the bomb came barely a day after an IED, planted at pub in Cotabato City, exploded and killed a woman and injured seven people. No group claimed responsibility for the bombing.
It was unknown if the attack or the foiled bombing had anything to do with the capture of a local militant whose group called al-Khobar is blamed by authorities for the spate of bombings and extortion activities in Mindanao.
Security forces arrested Tony Nur, believed to be a nom de guerre, in Maguindanao province on Thursday. Nur was tagged as behind the series of attacks in Maguindanao and North Cotabato provinces, including the spate of bombings in Kidapawan City.
His group is also implicated in many attacks on commuter buses in the south.
Last month, government agents arrested an Egyptian cleric, Mohammad Al-Sayed and seized from his hideout in Cotabato City assorted explosives. The foreigner was freed two days later after the Egyptian Embassy interceded for his release. (Mark Navales)
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