COTABATO CITY—The military Tuesday pointed to an Indonesia-based terror network with links to al-Qaida as perpetrator of a bomb attack here last Tuesday that killed one person and wounded at least 10 others.
Lt. Col. Prudencio Asto, spokesperson of the 6th Infantry Division, said the attack was carried out by students of slain terrorist Basit Usman of Indonesia-based terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).
“The attack was staged by Usman’s students. There were intelligence reports last month that they were planning to carry out attacks in the region,” Asto said.
“The kind of tactic they used to detonate the bomb, the kind of bomb they used plus the triggering mechanism are the signature of Basit Usman group,” said the military official.
“That’s the indication found by our experts,” he added.
The homemade bomb, attached to a motorcycle, was fashioned from four 81-millimeter mortar shells with a mobile phone as triggering device, Asto said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the latest terror attack to hit this city.
The bombing occurred on the second day of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.
Government and religious leaders have denounced the attack.
Mayor Japal Guiani Jr. and Vice Mayor Muslimin Sema, known to be arch political rivals, were one in condemning the person or group behind the attack.
Both Guiani and Sema, in separate statements, described the perpetrators as evildoers and enemies of Islam.
The mayor, who voluntarily offered a cash reward to anyone who could provide information that would lead to the arrest of the bombing suspects, called on the people of the city to unite to bring to justice those responsible for the terror attack and thwart other terrorist plans.
Sema also branded the suspects as heartless criminals creating havoc during the solemn annual observance of the Islamic event.
“As we embrace the sacrificial fast in Ramadan, one of the five pillars of Islam, we, too, abhor acts of terrorism and other violent means,” he said.
“Thou shall not kill is a commandment from Allah that we should strongly adhere to,” said Muslim professor Ustadz Jaafar Ali.
“It is not true that killing innocent civilians or infidels (unbelievers) would bring one to heaven,” said Ali, who is also president of the National Ulama Council of the Philippines.
As active member of Dharul Ifta (house of opinion), Ali said taking one’s life may be justified only in self-defense. Jeoffrey Maitem and Charlie C. Señase, Inquirer Mindanao