Troops, cops foil bomb attempt in Jolo

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Suspected Abu Sayyaf members lobbed an improvised bomb into a police patrol car but failed to blow the vehicle up Thursday night along the street of Jolo town, Sulu, according to military official.

The military said the improvised explosive device (IED) did not explode when it landed at the rear portion of the patrol car parked along Street 6 in Kalasamatan Village, Barangay San Raymundo.

Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado, commander of the Joint Task Group Sulu (JTGS), said concerned residents tipped them about 7:20 p.m. Wednesday that two motorcycle-riding men threw away a black backpack.

The backpack suspected to contain IED landed at the back of the patrol car of the 6th Maneuver Platoon of the police's Provincial Public Safety Company (PPSC) but did not explode as the suspects quickly escaped towards Barangay Latih, Patikul town.

Arrojado said the intelligence unit immediately alerted the Jolo Police Station and directed the personnel of the explosive ordnance and disposal (EOD) of the police’s elite Special Action Force.

He said the K-9 unit and EOD personnel of the army also assisted in cordoning the area to prevent civilians from being hurt on the possibility of explosion.

The EOD rendered safety procedure and defused the IED about 10 p.m. without any untoward incident.

Arrojado believed the Abu Sayyaf group attempted to conduct diversionary attack to ease the military pressure against its group in the mountains of Sulu.

He said the troops and police forces were also directed to intensify the checkpoint to prevent the Abu Sayyaf group from slipping bombs in populated areas.