KIDAPAWAN CITY – Three people were wounded in a bomb attack Sunday outside a Catholic church in Koronadal City in South Cotabato province in the restive region of Mindanao where security forces are battling terrorism and insurgent groups.
Police said the explosive went off near the church’s entrance. The injured civilians were rushed to hospital.
A second explosive was also recovered in a trash bin and detonated. No individual or group claimed responsibility for the bombing which occurred while the whole region is under an extended martial rule following a deadly ISIS attack in Marawi City last year.
It was unknown whether ISIS fighters were involved in the latest bombing.
In May 2015, police foiled an attempt to bomb a provincial bus bound for Koronadal City after a passenger discovered an improvised explosive and alerted the driver. The bomb – wrapped in a newspaper and plastic sheet – was placed at the rear of the bus, owned by Yellow Bus Line, which came from Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat province.
The bus driver and his conductor immediately informed the police about the explosive and ordered passengers to disembark so authorities can retrieve the bomb and disarmed it. Previous bombings in the troubled region were largely blamed to Islamic militants. (Rhoderick Beñez)
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