MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines said it is on the lookout for two more suicide bombers in Sulu who are likely planning to stage attacks on military camps.
“Ang nakikita ko ay military installations ‘yung (target) nila. Kasi ‘di ba in three occasions tinira nila yung BCT (brigade combat) team natin. So talagang gusto nilang gumanti dahil malaki ang setback nila with our relentless focused military operations,” Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana told reporters Tuesday.
He earlier said that there is a five-man team tasked to carry out suicide bombings in Sulu. They are all under Sulu-based Abu Sayyaf leader Hadjan Sawadjaan, seen as the acting head of the Islamic State in Mindanao after the death of Isnilon Hapilon during the Marawi siege in 2017.
Part of the five-man team includes a foreigner and Norman Lasuca, the first known Filipino suicide bomber, who blew themselves off at the gate of a military camp in Sulu last June.
On Sunday, a Caucasian-looking woman carried out a suicide bombing attack outside a military detachment also in Sulu. She is said to be the third member of the five-man suicide bombers.
No soldier or civilian were hurt from the incident.
Sobejana said the two suicide bombers who remain at large are the subject of their ongoing manhunt operations.
“Intensified ‘yung ginagawa nating operations pero dito lang naka-focus sa Sulu… Hindi namin palalabasin ‘to kasi mahirap na,” he said. /kga