Civilians foil 2 bombing attempts in North Cotabato

M’lang town in North Cotabato province (Image from Google Maps)

M’LANG, North Cotabato – Alert civilians prevented two bombing attempts here on Sunday afternoon and on Monday morning.

On Monday, an improvised explosive device was found unattended in front of the Arcylyn Store on the national highway in Barangay Bagontapay, M’lang, North Cotabato, according to Supt. Bernard Tayong, speaking for the police in North Cotabato.

Quoting police report from the M’lang Municipal Police Station , Tayong said passers-by noticed a black bag in front of the store at around 10 a.m..

Suspecting it was a bomb, they alerted village officials who in turned called on the police.

After a bomb sniffing dog sat on the suspected bomb, police explosives and ordnance experts used water disruptor to deactivate the bomb.

They found that the bag contained a canister wrapped with electrical tape, black powder, and cut nails and broken bottles serving as shrapnel. It also contained two live rounds of ammunition for an M-16 rifle.

A witness told the Inquirer that he noticed two men on a motorbike with helmets parked on the spot where the suspected IED was found.

“I thought they were just ordinary motorists taking a breather,” the witness said. “Minutes later police and soldiers arrived and cordoned off the area.”

On Sunday, at about 1 p.m, civilians found a pink bag left in front of a store along the national highway in Barangay Poblacion Mlang and alerted the police.

Bomb experts deactivated the suspected bomb.

Like the one found in Barangay Bagontapay, the IED in Barangay Poblacion was also had a mobile phone as a triggering device, black powder, and broken bottles and cut nails as shrapnel.

Mlang Mayor Russel Abonado said the attempt was aimed at sowing fear among the people of Mlang.

He lauded civilians for their vigilance and quick action in alerting the police.

No one has claimed responsibility for planting the bombs. /atm