(Update) Basilan town mayor unscathed in roadside bombing; soldier, driver wounded

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 5): (Update) Basilan town mayor unscathed in roadside bombing; soldier, driver wounded

Two people, including a soldier, were wounded while a town mayor was unscathed in a roadside bombing on Saturday in the municipality of Tuburan, Basilan province.

Senior Insp. Said Omar Ismael, Tuburan police chief, disclosed the incident occurred around 2:45 p.m. Saturday, in Sitio Sawiti, Barangay Calut (not Barnagay Duga-a as earlier reported), Tuburan, Basilan.

Ismael identified the wounded soldier as Cpl. Christian Ibarreta of the Army’s 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion and Misuari Jamiri, the driver of Tuburan Mayor Durie Kallahal.

Jamiri was transported by speed boat from Basilan to this city for medical treatment.

Col. Cirilo Donato, Army’s 104th Infantry Brigade commander, said Kallahal was unscathed since he disembarked before his vehicle tripped on an improvised explosive device fashioned out as a landmine.

The pick-up type vehicle of Kallahal was riddled with shrapnel holes and its left rear tire was blown off as a result of the roadside bomb explosion.

Ismael said that Kallahal accompanied by 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion troops went to Sitio Sawiti, Barangay Calut to inspect the blast site where a bomb exploded around 10:15 a.m. Saturday.

Ismael said no one was either killed or wounded in the 10:15 a.m. incident since the bomb exploded in a vacant lot.

At that time, Kallahal and the troops of the Army’s 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion were conducting medical outreach mission in downtown Tuburan.

Both the military and police authorities said the roadside bombing was the handiwork of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) since Kallahal is known to be fighting against the bandit group in his town.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=961097