Police authorities here believed the two suspected bomb
couriers killed during premature explosion of the improvised bomb while in
transit were "recruits" of international terrorists, a police
official said.
Senior Inspector Sindatu Karim, Pikit police chief, said
Asraf Mohammad and Jomar Palaguyan, both of Pikit, were students of Malaysian
bomber Zulkifli Bi Hir alias Marwan and Abdul Bassit Usman.
The two were blasted to death Tuesday night while on board a
Baja motorcycle along Manuel
Quezon Avenue
Witnesses said Asraf, 28, was driving the motorbike and
Palaguyan was carrying a box he placed on his lap in between him and the
motorbike driver when it suddenly exploded at 6:20 p.m., throwing the duo off
the motorcycle.
"I was shocked seeing mangled body," said
Eleuterio, 34, who was on his way to the convenience store when the blast
happened. "I felt strong wind coming to me after the blast,"
Eleuterio, a resident of Poblacion Pikit, added.
Karim said bomb experts recovered fragments of 60 mm mortar
with mobile phone as trigger mechanism at the blast site.
Karim also said the incident was related to the death of
suspected bomber during anti-drug buy bust operations two weeks ago that left
Ali Gumaga, a suspected leader of a robbery-hold-up gang, last week.
Police remained on heightened alert here as more cops were
deployed at the town public market.
"The bomb was similar to all other bombs set off in
various parts of Mindanao ," Karim said.
"It has the signature of Marwan and Basit Usman."
Marwan is the pseudonym of Malaysian suspected bomber
Zulkifli Bin Hir and his aide Basit Usman who were the subject of PNP-Special
Action Force operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Sunday.
Karim, citing intelligence information, said the IED was
manufactured in Maguindanao marshland and transported to Poblacion Pikit by the
slain suspects.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=730411
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