ZAMBOANGA CITY – A powerful bomb explosion inside a bus has killed one passenger and left at least two dozen people wounded in a daring attack on Friday in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines, police and government officials said.
Police said the bomb explosion ripped through the bus at a terminal in downtown Zamboanga at around 2.15 p.m.
Mayor Beng Climaco said the bus just came from the village of Labuan. “I condemned this heinous crime and ordered police and military to tighten security as we investigate this blast,” she said.
No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but authorities initially pointed to failed extortion as likely motive for the bombing which occurred near a police base.
Climaco said one person, Fatima Imbriada, 14, was killed and 33 people wounded from the blast. The mayor appealed to citizens to stay calm, but vigilant. “Please remain calm and vigilant at all times,” she said.
She said the explosion is an act of injustice to innocent civilians. She said the local government has provided immediate emergency assistance to the wounded victims.
Climaco renewed her call on bus companies to strictly enforce inspection of bags of passengers to prevent future attacks and also offered P200,000 reward for the capture of the bomber. “We call on all bus companies and all other public conveyance to strictly enforce inspection and other security measures. The City Government is offering P200K reward for the capture of the bomber,” she said.
The blast and fear of more attacks have forced many shops and department stores to close as soldiers and policemen secured the site to search for more bombs and debris. The bomb targeted the bus owned by Biel Transit.
It was the second time that the bus firm had been bombed.
In September 2013, one of its buses was also bombed at a terminal in Labuan village and killed three people. The improvised explosive was planted under a seat and then detonated as the bus enters the terminal from a daylong trip shuttling villagers to downtown Zamboanga.
It was unknown if the Abu Sayyaf was involved in the latest attack, but the notorious rebel group had previously bombed civilian targets in Zamboanga City over the last decade with deadly results.
The Abu Sayyaf has been fighting for a separate Muslim state, but resorted to terrorism and ransom kidnappings to finance its violent campaign in southern Philippines. (With a report from E. Dumaboc)
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