Student hurt in N. Cotabato roadside blast

KABACAN, North Cotabato—An improvised explosive device exploded Monday morning along National Highwaya here, hitting a Rural Transit bus and slightly wounding a passenger.

Inspector Jeffrey Todenio, chief of the town’s police investigation section, said student Sheila Nuniska of the University of Southern Mindanao here was hit in the hand by shrapnel and was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment.

“She was sitting at the back of the driver when an IED exploded outside the bus,” he said.

The Rural Transit bus, carrying at least 40 passengers, was on its way to Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat province from Cagayan de Oro and passing through Kayagat village here around 7 a.m. Monday when the blast occurred.

Superintendent Joseph Semillano, Kabacan police chief, said extortion could be the likely motive since the bus company had received extortion letters prior to the bombing.

Police bomb experts said the IED was made using an 81mm mortar with a mobile phone apparently used as a trigger mechanism.

Following the incident, Army and police checkpoints were put up along major highways in Central Mindanao, including Maguindanao province were armored personnel carriers were put along the Cotabato-Isulan highways.