IED blast in North Cotabato actually foiled - PNP

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 7): IED blast in North Cotabato actually foiled - PNP

The Philippine National Police (PNP) in North Cotabato announced that it has actually foiled the improvised explosive device (IED) attack in a pawnshop in Midsayap town, North Cotabato Wednesday morning.

Chief Supt. Charles Calima, Central Mindanao Regional Police Office commander, said that his men actually stopped a potentially deadly disaster since the IED attack was aimed at causing civilian casualties.

“We have actually intensified our security measures here and since we deployed additional (men) we believed that the suspects just hurriedly left it to where it eventually exploded,” he added.

The blast occurred at around 3:00 a.m. Wednesday on Sto. Nino Street in Poblacion 1. There was no reported casualties.

The explosion occurred in front of a business establishment which also houses a radio station but investigators said there were no indications that it was the target.

Calima also said that the explosion seemed to be not connected with the explosion in Cotabato City on Monday that left eight people dead so far.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=552475