ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/04 April) – Four persons were wounded when an improvised bomb exploded evening of Good Friday in front of a police station here.
Senior Supt. Angelito Casimiro, Zamboanga City police director, said the explosion took place around 7:55 p.m. in front of Police Station 9 in Barangay Ayala, west of this city.
Casimiro identified the victims as Marvin Esperat, 14; Magdalena Araneta, 61; Ofelia Enriquez, 71; and Victor Barlolome, 34.
Esperat, whose mother works as cook at the Police Station 9, was critically injured and has undergone surgery.
Araneta, Enriquez and Bartolome were slightly injured. They were on the way home when the improvised explosive device (IED) exploded.
Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said the city government will shoulder the hospital expenses of the victims.
Casimiro said investigation showed the IED was placed on an impounded pick-up vehicle that was parked in front of the Police Station 9 headquarters.
Casimiro said the explosive ordnance demolition (EOD) team has yet to establish the type of IED that was used although the blast site is positive for ammonium nitrate.
The blast severely damaged the back portion of the impounded pick-up vehicle, shattered window glasses of the police station as well as one of the nearby houses.
Casimiro was informed the Police Station 9 received threats after they detained three suspected drug pushers who were arrested in a recent anti-drug operation.
He said investigation is ongoing. (MindaNews)
