ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines — The Army has pointed to the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf as responsible for the bombing in Sumisip town, Basilan on Thursday (Sept. 2) that injured two construction workers.
Brig. Gen. Domingo Gobway, commander of the Army’s Joint Task Force Basilan, said the explosion was the handiwork of the Abu Sayyaf faction led by Tawakkal Bayali and could be motivated by extortion.
The explosion, caused by an improvised bomb, happened at past 8 a.m. in Barangay Lower Binembengan in Sumisip.
Gobway identified the injured workers as Hadji Adzhar Akram and Alih Yagao Abbah, both employed with RR JAM Construction. They had shrapnel wounds in various parts of their bodies.
The victims were rushed to the Isabela City hospital for treatment.
Thursday’s blast followed the one on Aug. 31 in Lamitan City that injured two soldiers manning a checkpoint, one of whom died later while on medical evacuation to Zamboanga City.