6 hurt in North Cotabato bus bomb blast

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 11, 2022): 6 hurt in North Cotabato bus bomb blast (By Edwin Fernandez)

BOMBED BUS. Civilians gather around a Cotabato City-bound Mindanao Star Bus where an improvised explosive device (IED) went off in Aleosan, North Cotabato at about 8 a.m. Tuesday (Jan. 11, 2022). The IED was placed at the rear portion of the bus and exploded while it was traversing the highway in Barangay San Mateo. (Photo courtesy of Mhen Maslamama/Jess Ali)

ALEOSAN, North Cotabato – At least six persons were injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off inside a traveling Mindanao Star Bus (MSB) in Barangay San Mateo here Tuesday.

Col. Henry Villar, provincial police director, said investigators were still at the blast site conducting a post-blast investigation following the 8:10 a.m. explosion at the rear portion of the Cotabato City-bound bus.

Initial reports showed six of the 20 passengers were taken to various hospitals in Midsayap, North Cotabato. Among the injured were minors.

The police identified the injured victims as Masid Benjamin, 25, Rodolfo Castillo, 67, Haron Solaiman, 24, and the three children, aged five, three, and five months, who all sustained shrapnel wounds in different parts of their bodies.

One of the passengers said the IED was planted at the back portion of the MSB unit with body number 155.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, which came two days after the police imposed stricter checkpoint operations for the implementation of the election gun ban.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1165068