ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 7 Jan) – A rubber plantation worker was injured when an improvised bomb exploded Wednesday in the town of Sumisip, Basilan province.
The incident came a day after combined military and police forces captured a suspected Abu Sayyaf leader also in Sumisip.
Senior Insp. Achmad Alibonga, the municipal police chief, identified the victim as Marjun Mallani, 25, who works as a rubber tapper. Alibonga said Mallani was injured after he accidentally stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) designed as a landmine while working at a rubber plantation 7:30 a.m. in Barangay Lukketun.
Alibonga said the explosion severed the left foot of Mallani, who was rushed to the hospital in Isabela City and later transferred to a hospital in this city.
He said they are conducting thorough investigation in a bid to identify the suspects behind the incident.
Meanwhile, Col. Eliglen Villaflor, commander of the Army’s 4th Special Forces Battalion, identified the captured Abu Sayyaf leader as Imran Daiyong Mijal alias Boh, who was wounded during the shootout.
Villaflor said the shootout ensued after Mijal “violently resisted” when they served warrant for his arrest around 5:20 p.m. Tuesday in Barangay Marang.
Mijal, the Army official said, has a standing warrant issued by the court for the crime of frustrated murder.
Mijal is also implicated in numerous crimes such as bombing, liquidation, kidnapping, ambush and extortion, according to Villaflor.
He said the troops provided first aid to Mijal, who was hit in the right arm, before they brought him to the hospital.
He said the troops have recovered from Mijal’s possession an M-16 Armalite rifle with several rounds of ammunitions, one rifle grenade, and a caliber .45 pistol with ammunitions.
