ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Updated 3:28 p.m.) — Two separate explosion rocked the downtown area of Jolo, Sulu on Monday and left nine people, including five soldiers, dead and 18 others injured, according to authorities.
Police and military authorities said 20 civilians were also injured in the powerful initial blast that authorities believe to be the handiwork of the Abu Sayyaf group.
Police Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, spokesperson of the Philippine National Police, said that the first explosion occurred at the vicinity of Paradise Food located at Barangay Walled, Jolo, Sulu, at the opposite road at around 11:53 a.m. and later again at 1 p.m. respectively on Monday.
The Jolo Municipal Police Station has deployed its personnel to evacuate the casualties and ensure the safety of other residents for other possible devices.
Speaking in an interview with DZBB Super Radyo, Banac also said that the police still did not have a definite number as to the casualties caused by the explosions.
"As of now, number of victims were still unidentified while investigations are underway to possibly identify the suspect/s behind this incident," he said.
We, together with our counterparts, are still determining the details of the explosion through post blast investigation.
— Armed Forces of the Philippines (@TeamAFP) August 24, 2020
At the moment our troops on the ground are evacuating and providing treatment for the casualties while securing the area.
Westmincom: At least four soldiers dead
Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, confirmed four soldiers died on the spot from the first explosion while 18 others were injured.
He said they have no immediate account on the number of civilian casualties at the moment.
But Lt. Col. Ronaldo Mateo, 11th Infantry Division spokesperson, reported that at least 20 civilians were reported injured in the blast. Sulu Police Province Office (SPPO), meanwhile, initially reported five civilians dead and an undetermined number of others injured during the first explosion.
Unidentified rider left rigged motorcycle
Initial police investigation disclosed that an unidentified rider left the motorcycle rigged with an IED near the military truck parked in front of the restaurant. The explosion happened moments later.
Sonny Abbing, provincial public information officer of Sulu, said Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan Sr. was meeting with Brig. Gen. William Gonzales, the new Joint Task Force Sulu (JTFS) and 11th Infantry Division chief, when the first explosion occurred. The meeting was cut short as Gonzales had to respond to the incident.
“I was at the blast site when the second explosion occurred. I saw victims falling on the ground, most of them were responding police and military personnel,” Abbing said.
Vinluan confirmed the second explosion that occurred across a gas station on the same street of the first blast.
Abu Sayyaf suspected in blasts
The military and police have yet to determine the perpetrators of the attack but earlier reports indicated the Abu Sayyaf group had threatened to conduct a suicide bombing attack in metro Jolo.
The military disclosed that prior to the explosion Mundi Sawadjaan, who was the subject of the tracking operation of the 4 army troopers who were killed by police person in Jolo last July 29, had planned to conduct the bombing attack.
The military further disclosed that based on the intelligence reports Mundi allegedly perpetrated the attack citing that the motorcycle was used in the bombing. — with reports from Philstar.com/Franco Luna