Grenade lobbed at Catholic church in Maguindanao town

KORONADAL CITY ––Unidentified suspects lobbed an improvised hand grenade at a Catholic Church in Datu Piang town of Maguindanao at 8:15 p.m. Monday.

Lt. Col. Dante Gania, acting chief of the Public Affairs Office of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said no one was hurt by the explosion some 20 meters away from the St. Therese Parish Church in Poblacion Datu Piang, where soldiers were earlier seen on patrol in preparation for the town fiesta.

Gania said they suspected the Islamic State-inspired Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters to be behind the attack.

Even as several BIFF members are getting back to the fold of the law, other hardcore members could be behind this attack to show they are still a force to reckon with, Gania said.

“Those behind the attack wanted to sow fear,” he said on the phone.

Fr. Clifford Baira, director of the Social Action Center of the Archdiocese of Cotabato, condemned the attack but said they still had no idea as to its motive.