7 soldiers wounded in new Philippine bombings

From the Mindanao Examiner blog (Aug 7): 7 soldiers wounded in new Philippine bombings

Seven soldiers were wounded Wednesday in a new wave of bombings in the southern Philippines, officials said.

Officials said a roadside bomb was detonated as a military truck passed on the village of Nabundas in Maguindanao’s Shariff Saydona Mustapha town.

“The soldiers were on a law enforcement operation when the attack occurred,” Col. Dickson Hermoso, a spokesman for the 6th Infantry Division, told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

He said the wounded troops belong to the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion. “The soldiers were slightly wounded and are back to their unit to join the continuing law enforcement operation against the auxiliary threat group,” he said.

Hermoso did not identify the threat group, but previous military statements refer this to Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, blamed for the spate of attacks against military targets in central Mindanao.

A bomb also exploded earlier in North Cotabato’s Midsayap town, but authorities said no casualties had been reported in the attack.  The improvised bomb exploded outside a pawnshop in downtown area and the powerful blast damaged several offices and establishments.

The twin attacks came days after a deadly bombing in Cotabato City that killed 9 people. Authorities are still investigating who were behind the attack which occurred during the holy of month of Ramadan.

Most of the victims in the August 5 bombing in Cotabato City are Muslims, according to the Mindanao Human Rights Action Center.

It also released a detailed map showing where the bombing occurred - Sinsuat Avenue – a busy road that leads to Cotabato Regional Medical Center, Notre Dame Hospital, Al-Nor Commercial Complex, and the headquarters of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“This is the city's main artery and easily one of the most crowded areas in Cotabato City, especially during rush hour,” it said. “As of mid-day, fatalities now total 9, all of whom appear to be Bangsamoros. The list of injured is mixed ethnicities, but mostly Bangsamoros.”

The bomb was planted in a car parked along the avenue and was detonated remotely, although forensic experts have not determined the type of improvised explosive used in the attack.

No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the bombing. But Abu Misri, a spokesman for the the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, who were earlier suspected of carrying out the attack, has strongly denied any hand in the bombing.

Last month, a bomb also exploded in downtown Cagayan de Oro City killing 8 people and wounding several dozens more.

Condemnation

Suara Bangsamoro, a cause-oriented group based in Mindanao, has joined various groups in condemning the bombing and called on the government to thoroughly investigate the attack. It fears that Moros in Mindanao would again be blamed for the bombing.

“Suara Bangsamoro is saddened that the killing of innocent civilians happened at the time that the Moro people are observing fast in the month of Ramadan. We are bothered by the bombing incidents, in light of the warning issued by the US State Department on August 2 about possible terrorist threats from Al-Qaeda network against US interests in Middle East and North Africa.”

“Much disturbing is the video of Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri that circulated in the media hours after the US State Department advisory, accusing the US government as behind the overthrowing of Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood leadership in Egypt. We fear that as a consequence of the advisory, state authorities will want to direct their investigations in Moro communities in Mindanao which they suspect of hiding Al-Qaeda terrorist cells,” Amirah Ali Lidasan, the group’s spokesperson said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

She said in the past, this kind of operation has led to the rounding up and detention of innocent Moro civilians as well as heightened military operations in Moro communities.

“We are therefore calling for a thorough investigation of the incident and get the real culprits and not use this incident to prove the veracity of the US government’s latest advisory on terrorism.  We hope that this will not provoke another round of crackdown and eventual military operations in Moro communities here in Mindanao and Manila,” she said.

The Liga ng Makabagong Kabataan also condemned the series of bombings and said justice must be served to the victims of the violence.

“We strongly denounce any attack to civilian population of whatever purposes it may. We believe that this is an orchestrated and there are groups of people behind these. We should not allow these trouble-makers to win in their agenda to spread fear, panic and hatred among us,” it said.

“We call on authorities to maximize all efforts available without jeopardizing due process to bring before the law those culprits and behind of these bombings. We call the attention of the authorities while in pursuit for justice not to curtail human rights and due process. Thus, we reiterate that militarist and militarization would never be an effective response to this. We also call on the peace loving communities to cooperate in bringing the suspects before justice and importantly safeguard the victories of the peace processes in the region while continue to demand for an inclusive process.”

The  Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Mindanao said the Cotabato bombings is an act of cowardice by unprincipled individuals or group which only wanted to advance its vested interests.

“We express here our sympathy and solidarity to friends, relatives and families of the victims and to the whole mourning population. Again and again, the dominant system wanted to spread fear and panic as if something is really is going to happen,” it said. “It was also an attack to the Muslim population that are in their 28th day of Ramadhan this year 2013. This was an attack to all peoples in Mindanao.”

It said the incidents should unite the peoples of Mindanao to be more vigilant and critical and that the investigation (into the bombings) should always be without human rights violations. It said militarization can never be an answer. “These tragic events should then unite the tri-people in Mindanao and collectively condemn all acts of terror by all means. Hurting civilian population can never be justified by any cause.”

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