8 hurt in Tacurong City IED attack

TACURONG CITY – Manhunt has been launched
by police and military authorities here against two men suspected to be on
bombing test mission after one of them tossed an improvised bomb near a
hospital and electric cooperative building and hurt eight persons.

Senior Supt. Raul Supiter, Sultan Kudarat police
director, said the bomb attack occurred at 8:30 a.m. while the street fronting
Valdez Mother and Child Clinic and Sultan Kudarat Electric Cooperative main
office were busy with pedicab and pedestrians.

It was an improvised bomb that will explode
when lobbed, the IED was similar to other IEDs set off by suspected BIFF in
Maguindanao and other parts of Region 12, Supiter said.

Supiter said bomb experts found cut nails and metal
fragments in the blast site. No one has
claimed responsibility and the police remained clueless as to the motive and
identities of the suspects.

A police investigator, asking not to be named, said
the bombing could be a retaliatory attack by companions of two suspected
carnappers from Maguindanao killed by police during pursuit operations on
Thursday last week.

The injured were identified as Janice Alacdo, 34,
sidewalk vendor, SUKELCO employees Arnold Pampulina, June Nhel Alla, Edisom
Escultero, Rommel Carnajo, Janice Alcado, Larry Daniel and another power
utility worker.

A size 4 nail was found at the blast site. (Photo byGonofre Surupia Sr) sand//scontent.fmnl9-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t34.0-12/17792399_10212400908965675_1215372739_n.jpg?oh=45fdbc9a8d7899c220bda24fa836ec62andampoe=58E3DB6D Image may contain one or more people and outdoor sand//scontent.fmnl9-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/17630097_1247635572009916_488715570301347930_n.jpg?oh=4cd99f11f3772734581c948a3684ea3aandampoe=5992FEEB Supiter said all the victims are now out of danger.

It was the 7th IED attack in Sultan
Kudarat, Maguindanao, North Cotabato and Cotabato City since Tuesday last week. Police have been placed on heightened alert
following the bomb attack. (Ferdinandh Cabrera)