Army bomb expert hurt deactivating IED in Maguindanao
BANGSAMORO NEWS UPDATES • 06:29 AM Mon Aug 13, 2018
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By:
Edwin O. Fernandez
The Army detachment attacked by suspected BIFF in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao on Saturday night. (6th ID photo)
CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao – An Army ordnance expert was slightly injured when an improvised bomb
he was deactivating went off Sunday morning, the Army said.
Capt. Arvin
John Encinas, speaking for the 6th Infantry Division, did not identify
the injured members of Army Explosive and Ordnance Disposal Unit but said the
officer is now out of danger.
Earlier in the
day, soldiers discovered a suspected IED in Barangay Kuloy, Shariff Aguak,
Maguindanao and were trying to deactivate the ordnance when it went off at
11:30 a.m.
It was third IEDs
that bomb experts was trying to deactivate Sunday. Two other IEDs were defused
earlier, also in Shariff Aguak.
Brig. Gen.
Cirilito Sobejana, 6th ID chief, in a statement, said the series of
bombing attempts on Saturday and Sunday was the handiwork of IS linked
Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
Violent
extremism and terrorism have no place in Central Mindanao. We condemn in
strongest term the criminal and barbaric acts of these local terrorist groups,
Sobejana said.
On Saturday, a
civilian who happened to be near an Army base was injured when suspected BIFF,
riding on motorbike, hurled two hand grenades at 8 p.m.
Encinas
identified the injured civilian as Nasser Kusain, 19, resident of Barangay Labu-labu
Mother, Shariff Aguak town.
One of the grenades
landed inside the 57th Infantry Battalion detachment in Barangay
Labu-Labu but no soldiers were injured.
According to
Sobejana, the bombing attempts were part of the retaliatory attacks by BIFF to
get back at government forces following their setbacks in recent military
offensives against them.
Sobejana
reiterated his directive to all Army units to remain on alert as the terrorists
group is making news anew.