Backhoe bombed by suspected Abu Sayyaf men in Basilan town

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits staged an attack in the center of Albarka town in Basilan by bombing a piece of construction equipment on Wednesday evening, the police said Thursday.

Senior Supt. Mario Buyuccan, the Basilan police director, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone that an unidentified number of bandits planted and exploded an improvised explosive device on a backhoe parked near the Albarka townhall around 11 p.m.

The backhoe was among the pieces of equipment being used in the road construction in Sitio Pagtawanan in Barangay Magcawa, he said.

“The backhoe was destroyed,” he said.

Buyuccan said they were looking at extortion as a possible motive in the attack.

He said to prevent similar incidents, authorities had deployed forces to secure other equipment and also construction workers.

The road project is part of the infrastructure development program of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao for the said town.

Recently, ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman said he has committed P400 million for road projects in Albarka.