ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews / 11 September) – A suspicious sack believed to contain an improvised explosive device (IED) was found Monday morning in front of the Paculba flower shop along Quezon Avenue here, causing fear among passersby.

It turned out the suspicious item reported at around 8:30 a.m. by a civilian to authorities was not an improvised bomb but junk materials.

Responding to the incident, the local Explosive Ordnance Disposal K9 Unit (EOD) cordoned the road leading to the Iligan City Hall to the east and Saint  Michael’s Cathedral to the west, temporarily disrupting the Monday morning traffic.

Major Zanrex Panolong, Iligan City Police Office spokesperson, told MindaNews the EOD team initiated a water cannon disruptor at the suspicious item.

The EOD team later determined the sack contained junk materials, and not an IED, the official said.

Panolong urged civilians to immediately report to authorities suspicious items for immediate response. (Richel Umel / MindaNews)