Fresh terror attack hits Maguindanao

TROUBLE IN CENTRAL MINDANAO Residents of central Mindanao and Maguindanao have been dealing with a number of terror attacks, including this bus bombing on Jan. 11 that left six people, three of them children, injured when an improvised explosive went off inside a Mindanao Star Bus in Aleosan town, Cotabato province. —MHEN MASLAMAMA/contributor

CAMP SIONGCO, MAGUINDANAO DEL NORTE—Two unidentified gunmen attacked a militia detachment in Maguindanao del Norte in the early hours of Sunday, killing three members of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) and wounding two others, the Army said.

The incident was the latest in terror attacks in Maguindanao and its neighboring Soccsksargen region­—composed of the provinces of South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani, and General Santos City—in central Mindanao.

Lt. Col. Dennis Almorato, spokesperson for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division based in Camp Siongco in Datu Sinsuat town, said the attack occurred about 1:30 a.m. in a bridge damaged last month by Severe Tropical Storm “Paeng” (international name: Nalgae) in Barangay Edcor of Buldon town, Maguindanao del Norte, which the militiamen were trying to secure. The bridge was still undergoing repairs.

Almorato said survivors of the attack reported that two men, armed with assault rifles and believed to be members of the Islamic militant group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire on the Cafgu members, killing Christian Silvestre, Ignacio Lozada and Dondon Ahito, and wounding Calbertson Baggay and Arnel Cayanan.

Members of 5th Marine Battalion Landing Team and the Buldon town police were still pursuing the suspects, who fled toward the hinterlands of the town’s Barangay Nuyo.

Bombing suspect killed

This developed as authorities in neighboring Sultan Kudarat killed another alleged suspect behind the Nov. 6 Yellow Bus Lines (YBL) bombing in Tacurong City.

Lt. Col. Lino Capellan, spokesperson for the Sultan Kudarat police provincial office, said police were about to arrest Aiman Mandi Ali at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday in Barangay Rosary Heights 6 in Cotabato City, when the latter allegedly resisted, prompting them to open fire.

“We were to implement the arrest warrant when the suspect opened fire on lawmen,” Capellan told reporters.

Also killed was Ali’s wife Hainurisa, who was in the house during the operation.

According to Capellan, the couple belonged to the terror group Dawlah Islamiya (DI) under Salahuddin Hassan, a known DI leader operating in Maguindanao.

He said the warrant for Ali’s arrest was issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 19 in Isulan town of Sultan Kudarat for violation of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act (Republic Act No. 10591).

Capellan also linked Aiman to the Dec. 30, 2018, bombing of the South Seas Mall in Cotabato City.

Troops found in the suspect’s home two .45-caliber pistol, fragmentation grenades, improvised bombs and bomb components, a motorbike, a multicab vehicle, a drone and different identification cards.

One passenger was killed while 11 others, including the alleged bomb courier, were injured when an improvised bomb went off inside the YBL unit on Nov. 6 near the Tacurong City bus terminal. Three days after the incident, police announced the arrest of one of the suspects, who was among those severely wounded from the explosion. His leg was recently amputated.

Brig. Gen. Jimili Macaraeg, regional police director of Soccsksargen, said the suspect identified as Esmael Daomilang, 55, still remained in the hospital.

In the South Seas Mall bombing on Dec. 31 last year, two were killed and nearly 30 were injured. INQ