MANILA, Philippines – An improvised explosive device (IED) planted by a still unknown group exploded before dawn Thursday damaging power transmission tower in Lanao del Norte, a military official said.

In a telephone interview, 104th Brigade Commander Colonel Benoto de Leon said that the blast happened at around 2 a.m. in the vicinity of Barangay (village)Tingin-tingin, Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte.

De Leon said they have sent units from the explosives and ordnance unit of the military to investigate the incident but said that they have not identified any suspects and no motives have surfaced as of yet.

The components of the IED have also not yet been identified, De Leon said.

Despite the damage to the transmission tower, no power interruptions were reported, De Leon said.

He added that the town of Kauswagan was a good three-hour drive from where the abductors of the Irish priest Michael Sinnott were reportedly hiding.

The military said that the bandit group, identified by Interior and Local Government Secretary Reynaldo Puno as members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s 113 Base Command, were reportedly in the boundaries of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur provinces.

Nevertheless, De Leon said that although such bombing incidents were common in the area even prior to the abduction of Sinnott, the military was not discounting the possibility that the bombing incident might be a “diversionary tactic” of the bandit group.

“It is a possibility, pero [but] I don’t see its direct relevance no, lagi-lagi nang nangyayari ang pagpapasabog ng tower ditto [the bombing of towers here are a regular occurrence],” De Leon said.

He added that they would conduct security adjustments in the area of Lanao del Norte after the incident but clarified that they would not pull out troops on standby in case the crisis committee would give the green light to conduct military rescue operations for the abducted priest.

Sinnott was kidnapped October 11 from Pagadian City by an alleged group of pirates and was shortly turned over to another bandit group, the military said.