Scene of the Crime Operatives inspect the blast site in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, where 18 individuals, including minors and a pregnant woman, were injured after an improvised explosive device went off on Wednesday afternoon, April 3, 2019. Photo from Police Regional Office 12
MANILA, Philippines — Investigators are looking at the possible involvement of the Dawlah Islamiyah group led by Abu Toraife in the bombing in front of a restaurant in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.
Soccsksargen Police chief Brigadier General Eliseo Rasco told Manila reporters in a phone interview that suspects in Wednesday’s bombing possibly belong to the group, which has been present in the area for a long time now.
The explosion near the entrance of Carlito’s Chicken left 18 people injured.
“Ito ‘yung matagal na nandiyan sa area ng Maguindanao, itong Dawlah Islamiyah,” Rasco said Thursday.
In a separate text message forwarded through Soccsksargen Police Spokesperson Lt. Col. Aldrin Gonzales to INQUIRER.net, Rasco said the recovered parts of the improvised explosive device (IED) from the scene were similar to the ones used in the August 2018 bombing also in Isulan that was allegedly perpetrated by the same group. That blast killed three people, including a seven-year-old boy, and injured 36 others.
READ: 18 hurt as blast rocks Sultan Kudarat restaurant
“Yung mga na-recover na ginawang kasangkapan ng IED kahapon ay ganun din ‘yung mga kasangkapan na ginamit sa IED na sumabog last year kagaya ng mga pako, ‘yung pinaglagyan at iba pang kasangkapan,” Rasco said.
“So most likely sila Abu Toraife pa rin ang may kagagawan nito,” he added.
Authorities earlier said the Special Investigation Task Group Carlito is looking at extortion as possible motive behind the explosion, as Rasco said the owner of Carlito’s Chicken restaurant received two messages of extortion try last week.
READ: Extortion behind Isulan bombing – police
READ: Suspects behind Sultan Kudarat town blast caught on CCTV
/kga