Troops to secure Koronadal against more bomb threats

KORONADAL CITY — More police and military troops are expected to arrive here this week to help secure the city’s various entry points and crowded places, such as public markets, malls, schools and churches, against the plan of the al-Qaeda linked Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and locally-trained Indonesian-based Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) to stage more bomb attacks in the city.

Mayor Fernando Miguel declined to say though how many police personnel and military combatants are arriving in the city for security reasons.

When pressed to give figures, Miguel simply said, "It’s enough to prevent the city from another terrorist attack."

But sources said Miguel requested police and military personnel, all trained in thwarting anti-terrorist activitites, as additional troops.

The said terrorist elements have not yet entered the city, according to Miguel.

"I cannot afford to sacrifice the safety of my constituents by not requesting additional troops that would help guard the city and would prevent the terrorists from entering the city again. That’s why I requested more troops to be deployed here," Miguel told The STAR.

Last Saturday afternoon, three persons, including a 21-year-old female, were seriously wounded after an improvised device exploded in front of the city’s public market.

Explosive experts, assisted by K-9 dogs, reportedly recovered and defused two other explosive devices — one 105 Howitzer cannon projectile and one 60-mm mortar — more or less 100 meters away from the explosion area.

The military tagged the notorious and elusive Abu Sayyaf Group as the primary suspects in Saturday’s bombing, citing the type of improvised explosives used.

However, the police here could not give any suspects pending the investigations but they did not discount the possible involvement of Abu Sayyaf and JI operating in Mindanao.

Miguel urged the city residents "to remain calm" and help government authorities secure the city by reporting suspicious characters roaming their communities.

"This is our city. Nobody can protect our city but us. Let us join hands in fighting those elements who want to destroy our city. Report immediately any suspicious characters to our police and military operatives," Miguel said.