DATU ODIN SINSUAT, Maguindanao – Two persons, among them the alleged bomber, were killed and two others were injured when an improvised bomb exploded along the national highway in the poblacion here at around 11 a.m. just as the town was celebrating its 17th anniversary and a political summit was going on at the nearby municipal gymnasium.
The explosion from what is believed to be a device fashioned out of a 105 mm howitzer was so strong the bodies of slain victims were mangled.
The Explosives and Ordnance Disposal team of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, which is located in the same town, immediately scoured the area accompanied by a K-9 dog, followed by the Scene of the Crime Operatives of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
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Police Senior Supt. Marcelo Pintac, Maguindanao police chief, said there is a big possibility the bomber was among those killed.
He said it is possible that the bombing may have been carried by the bomber on board a motorcycle. The motorcycle was among those destroyed by the bomb.
Police investigators are trying to determine if the two slain victims were related. The two were reportedly not known to residents in the area.
A gathering of Iranun and Maguindanao mayors at the municipal gymnasium marked the 17th anniversary celebration. Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu was also present, along with the regional police chief of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Chief Supt. Bienvenido Latag and Brig. Gen. Ray Ardo, chief of the 6th Infantry Division.
The bomb exploded in front along the national highway fronting the Sinsuat ancestral home, some 250 meters away from the gym.
The politicians present expressed dismay over what happened, claiming someone is out to sabotage the alliance of Maguindanao and Iranun mayors. But they continued with their summit despite the bombing. (MindaNews)
