MANILA, Philippines - Combined government security forces in Zamboanga del Norte recently completed a two-day training in bomb detection and handling conducted by three US military ordnance experts who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
More than 40 uniformed personnel, mostly policemen, were taught techniques in identifying homemade bombs, said Lt. Junior Grade Theresa Donnelly, public affairs spokesman of the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P).
The pre-New Year bomb training is part of ongoing efforts of Philippine and American forces to address threats of terrorism in Min-danao.
In the past six months, Donnelly said members of JSOTF-P Mobile Unit 5 have been working closely with police and military bomb squads in Western Mindanao on various training exercises to better recognize and respond to improvised explosive devices. – Jaime Laude