At least 4 hurt in Sultan Kudarat bus bombing
Sultan Kudarat. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
KORONADAL CITY — At least four persons were wounded at noon on Monday after a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) exploded inside a passenger bus parked at the public terminal of Isulan, Sultan Kudarat,
Lieutenant Colonel Lino Capellan, spokesperson of the Sultan Kudarat provincial police, said a new double-decker bus of Husky Tours was ripped in the middle by the explosion at 12:20 p.m. on Monday, April 17, at the Isulan Integrated Public Terminal in Barangay Kalawag 2.
“The explosion hit the lower deck of the bus. Six individuals suffered injuries but are now in safe condition in the hospital,” he said in a phone interview.
Capellan said the police had received information that some quarters were planning to carry out bomb attacks in the province.
Major Andrew Linao, spokesperson of the Western Mindanao Command, said the bus was supposed to pick up and drop passengers at the terminal when the explosion happened.
He identified the four blast victims as Hamsa Alilaya, 60, from General Santos City; Norodin Ibrahim 63; Norfatima Makaanta, 25, of Marawi CIty; and Edgar Cochoco, 57, of Malabang, Lanao del Sur. The victims were brought to the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Hospital for immediate medical treatment.
In November last year, a unit of Yellow Bus Line, Inc. was also bombed in neighboring Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat, resulting in the death of an individual and the wounding of about a dozen others.
The Regional Police Office-12 said the Yellow Bus management received extortion demands from the Islamic State-inspired Dawlah Islamiyah.
Capellan said authorities were still investigating if the management of Husky Tours also received extortion demands before the bombing of its unit.
The double-decker Husky Tours bus came from Cotabato en route to General Santos City, he added.
With a report from Julie Alipala
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