AFP chief: 'ISIS not behind Basilan blast'

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — The military yesterday dismissed claims that the Islamic State (IS) was behind the car bomb attack that killed 11 people in Basilan.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Carlito Galvez said the IS was claiming every terror attack as part of its propaganda to gain more support.

“They are claiming everything. Even what happened in Manila, they were claiming to have had a hand in it. They are doing it to heighten the support and to show that they are still there,” Galvez said.

He also discounted the possibility that the supposed suicide bomber in last Tuesday’s attack was a foreigner.

An anti-terror official, however, maintained the suicide bomber was a foreigner, bolstering claims and identifying the slain suspect as Abu Kathir Al-Maghrib, a Moroccan jihadist.

But some officials stressed it might be possible that the driver of the van was just a courier of the bomb.

“So it is not conclusive that it was a suicide bomber and it’s not conclusive the suspect was a foreigner,” Galvez said.

He stressed initial reports that the suicide bomber was foreign looking are not conclusive.

“And for a foreigner to drive alone was unlikely,” he added.

A bomb-laden van driven by a suspected militant went off in a powerful blast Tuesday in Lamitan that killed 11 people, including a soldier, five militiamen and the driver.

Initial reports said the driver was unable to speak the local Yakan dialect or even Tagalog to the troops manning the checkpoint, prompting them to hold him for further questioning.

The reports were based on claims by a couple that saw the van pass by but had not seen the driver.

“The foreign looking (driver) was just an afterthought just to highlight but it’s not conclusive,” Galvez said.

He said the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) had intelligence reports and evidence indicating the Abu Sayyaf was behind the car bomb attack.

He said the assessment of the military was clear that the IS has nothing to do with the deadly bombing attack.

Galvez said the Abu Sayyaf was behind the bombing attack to frighten local officials in Basilan into financing its war chest.

He said the Abu Sayyaf lost support from the local officials who stopped paying the monthly P50,000 “protection fee.”

“Based on the information and report, they were asking P50,000 each of the LGUs and that single action was used to threaten the mayors,” he said.

Galvez revealed the Abu Sayyaf is targeting at least three areas, including Lamitan and Isabela.

Special Assistant to the President Christopher Go said President Duterte has scheduled a command conference today to discuss the developments in the Lamitan car bombing.

Go also gave assurance on the immediate release of financial assistance to the blast victims, including the militiamen and the wounded soldiers.

Locally made

Officials said several bomb fragments were recovered from the blast site that would help determine the signature of the bomb.

The slain driver was carrying an IED composed of 60 kilos of ammonium nitrate fuel oil stacked on three 20-liter containers and a large casserole, officials said.

Galvez said the bomb signature was traced to the Abu Sayyaf.

Westmincom chief Lt. Gen. Arnel dela Vega added the components of the IED could be bought locally and could be easily fabricated.

Regional military spokesman Lt. Col. Gerry Besana said the driver could have waited for “a more opportune time to inflict harm on a bigger number of people.”

Besana was referring to the still unidentified driver, who also died in the blast. “That’s their death wish… the more, the merrier.”

Officials are still clueless on the identity of the driver.

Galvez added investigators believe the driver of the van wanted a more target-rich environment to carry out the attack.

He pointed out that on the day of the attack, some 4,000 children with their parents and teachers were expected to attend a gathering at the Lamitan City plaza to celebrate nutrition month.

The Abu Sayyaf, founded in the late 1980s in Basilan, is notoriously known for bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings of foreigners.

The bandit group has been weakened by government offensives and surrenders but remains a national security threat. – With Jaime Laude, John Unson, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Rudy Santos, Pia Lee-Brago, Helen Flores, Sheila Crisostomo, Michael Punongbayan