The military claimed it had put together pieces of evidence and theories that unravel a supposed plot by a bandit group with links to a Southeast Asian terror network to bomb mosques in a bid to inflame conflict between Muslims and Christians in Mindanao.
Col. Jose Johriel Cenabre, deputy commander for Marine Operations of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao, said on Thursday that the Abu Sayyaf’s next target are mosques in a bid to fuel hatred between Muslims and Christians and escalate violence in Mindanao.
Cenabre said his unit found the plot true after Marines found and disarmed at least eight bombs planted near a mosque in Barangay Panglahayan in Patikul, Sulu.
“The resulting explosions could generate displaced anger against the government and Christians,” he said.