Woman hurt in bomb blast in Compostela Valley; NPA blamed

TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte, Philippines – A 21-year-old woman was wounded when an improvised bomb believed planted by communist rebels went off near a police station in Mabini, Compostela Valley, on Saturday, the military on Sunday said.

Ravelyn Cobrado was hurt and is now being treated at the Davao Regional Hospital (DRH) in this city due to shrapnel wounds following the explosion at Purok (Community) 2, Barangay (village) Cadunan around 8:20 p.m., Capt. Alberto Caber, spokesperson of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command, said.

Witnesses saw a motorcycle with undetermined number of people onboard sped off moments after the blast near the vicinity of the town police station, Caber said, adding troops from the Philippine Army’s 71st Infantry Battalion and from the town police have started pursuit operations.

Saturday’s attack came a day after five government troops were wounded in an ambush by New People’s Army rebels in Sitio (Sub-village) Onor, Tagugpo village, in nearby Pantukan municipality.

“(Soldiers and militiamen) from the 101st Division Reconnaissance Company (DRC) were on security patrol when fired upon by NPA rebels. A 30-minute firefight ensued, wounding a militiaman and four regular soldiers,” Caber said.

Also last week, suspected communist hit men shot and killed an unarmed Army ranger who was taking his son to school in San Antonio village, also in Mabini.