Suspected members of a breakaway Moro rebel group set off another improvised explosive device Wednesday evening in Maguindanao to disable vital road network in Datu Piang town.
Maguindanao police chief Rodelio Jocson said members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) were believed to be behind the blast on a vital bridge in Barangay Lintokan, Datu Piang around 5:30 p.m.
The group earlier claimed responsibility for the roadside bombing on Wednesday morning in another town in Maguindanao province that wounded seven soldiers. Read the related story.
But Abu Misry, spokesman for BIFF, told media here that contrary to earlier reports, they used M79 grenade launchers when they attacked the convoy of the soldiers while passing through the highway, in particular along crossing Datu Kilay-Datu Bakal in Barangay Nabundas in Shariff Saydona Mustapha town in Maguindanao, around 9:35 a.m. Wednesday.
The bombings occurred just few hours after a powerful improvised explosive device went off in front of MLhuiller and an FM radio station located along Santo Nino Street in Midsayap, North Cotabato.
In the bombing in Datu Piang, Jocson said nobody was hurt.
He said the blast came as Muslims prepare to break a day-long fast with an "iftar" (evening prayer).
The bridge was damaged but remained passable to light vehicles, Jocson said, quoting a report from Datu Piang police office.
Members of the Army 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade bomb disposal unit were in the police as of this posting Wednesday conducting post-blast investigation amid moderate downpour.
Jocson said the bomb was believed to have been fashioned from a 60 mm mortar with mobile phone as trigger mechanism.
Despite the bombings Wednesday, which occurred just two days after the blast that killed eight people and wounded 40 others in Cotabato City, the Philippine government said there was no need to deploy more troops to Mindanao.
Intelligence gathering, however, will be heightened after the explosions.
"We have several commands already in Mindanao. So, whether we want to add more troops, we have lots of soldiers there already. It's the intelligence gatherings. We will wait for the inputs from the intel agencies," presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing.
In a text message later in the day quoting Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Emmanuel Bautista, he said, "we have enough troops in Mindanao and there is no reason to increase deployment."
Lacierda assured that the government is doing everything to protect the people of Mindanao.
Several other blasts occurred in other areas in
Mindanao this year. The map below shows where the bombing incidents were
reported.
View 2013 bombing incidents in a larger map
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