Philippines thwarts southern bus terminal bombing plot
The plot reeks of pro-IS terror groups, who allegedly bombed a bus belonging to the same company in April.
COTABATO CITY: The Philippine military and police have deactivated two improvised bombs left near the main gate of a passenger bus terminal in Cotabato City, southern Philippines, thwarting a plot like a recent bus bombing allegedly by pro-IS terror groups.
Cotabato city police director Col. Querubin Manalang Jr. said in a report that a plastic bag containing a powerful bomb and a secondary one inserted in another plastic container were found at about 3.40am by an employee of the Husky Bus terminal Thursday.
One bomb was made of flash powder with cut concrete nails as shrapnel and a mobile phone as the blasting device.
The secondary bomb, fashioned from a rocket-propelled grenade with a mobile phone as the triggering device, was found near the terminal’s concrete fence along the national highway in Barangay Rosary Heights 10.
Manalang said the bombs could be part of a terrorist group’s extortion activities against the Husky Bus company.
On April 17, a new Husky Bus double-decker was bombed at the Isulan bus terminal in Sultan Kudarat province, leaving six persons injured. A secondary bomb was found on the upper deck of the bus.
No one has claimed responsibility for the Isulan bus bombing incident, but police have blamed the pro-IS Dawlah Islamiya terrorist group, also known as the Maute Group, and their ally, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, as those behind the attack with extortion as the primary motive.
At least 15 suspects have been charged with the Isulan bus bombing.