Southern Philippine city declared free of terror group. Shortly later, bomb explodes.
Bombing mars Lamitan's cityhood celebrations.
BASILAN: A bomb exploded at a gas station in a southern Philippine city shortly after it was declared free of the Abu Sayyaf terror group (ASG), it has been reported.
According to Lt. Col. Arlan Delumpines, the Lamitan city police chief, an improvised bomb detonated at about 6:47 pm at a gas station in Matibay village in the city, Basilan province, prompting security forces to be deployed, the Rappler news site reported.
Delumpines suspected that the explosion, which injured a 20-year-old passerby, may be linked to an extortion attempt. The gas station owner had previously reported receiving an extortion letter in May.
Investigators discovered components of the improvised bomb at the crime scene, including a blasting cap, a nine-volt battery, and powder residue. In the aftermath of the explosion, police announced that they have identified "persons of interest" based on CCTV footage.
Lamitan mayor Roderick Furigay's declaration of the city as ASG-free during his state of the city report was a highlight of the city’s 17th-anniversary celebration, Rappler reported further.
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Furigay, who chairs the city's Task Force to End the Local Armed Conflict (TF-ELAC), assured citizens that authorities were in control and encouraged vigilance.
Brig. Gen. Alvin Luzon, the commander of the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade, emphasised that Furigay's declaration resulted from collaboration among the security sector, city government, villages and concerned citizens. However, he acknowledged the ongoing challenge of sustaining these gains.
Lamitan gained prominence on June 2, 2001, when Abu Sayyaf militants infiltrated the city, seizing a church and a hospital and taking hostages, including priests, medical staff, and patients.
Basilan had been a hotspot for ASG activities, including kidnappings and a suicide bombing at an army checkpoint in Lamitan that killed 11 people including the bomber in 2018.
The militant group also had three "hardcore" commanders in Basilan namely Furudji Indama, Radzmil Janatul and Jobel Abdullah.
Terror groups in the southern Philippines are also known to have extorted business establishments.
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