Soldier hurt in Maguindanao blast – official

COTABATO CITY — A soldier is now recuperating in a government hospital after being hurt from an improvised bomb that went off in Barangay Reina Regente of Datu Piang, Maguindanao on Tuesday afternoon.

Lt. Colonel Ernesto Gener, commander of the Army’s 57th Infantry Battalion (IB), said the Islamic State-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) could be behind the blast that wounded Private Narciso Monreal.

A squad of 57th IB troopers was constantly patrolling the Reina Regente area after the Army received reports about sightings of suspected BIFF members.

Around 1 p.m. Tuesday, they were met with an explosion.

After the blast, Gener said, the troops went on quick foot patrol to secure the adjoining towns of Datu Piang, Datu Salibo, and Datu Saudi Ampatuan. 

The Datu Piang blast that hurt Monreal came hours after a loud explosion rocked a village in Datu Anggal Midtimbang town, also in Maguindanao,  where an unexploded improvised bomb was also recovered.  /kga