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THE BLAST SITE Mayor Rose Furigay of Lamitan City in Basilan Province inspects the site where a powerful explosion left at least 11 dead and a small crater a few meters from the Magwakit military base in Barangay Bulanting . PHOTOGRAPHY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CITY OF LAMITAN
ZAMBOANGA – In what could be the first suicide bombing in the country, a powerful explosion killed at least 11 people and wounded nine others Tuesday morning in the city of Lamitan, province of Basilan.
Deputy Mayor Roderick Furigay said that only 10 people were killed when the bomb in the vehicle exploded a few meters from the Magwakit patrol base of the 19th Bulanting Village Special Forces Company
. Count the life of a demon, "furious Furigay told the Inquirer, referring to the bomber.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a former chief of the National Police, said that the explosion could be the "first known suicide bombing case in the Philippines", representing a new type of threat that could spread in urban centers if it is not controlled
. it was a suicide bombing … it's scary to say the least because, and God forbid, it could trigger a series of terrorist acts of this kind. kind that could strike other densely populated urban centers, "he said in a message to the Inquirer.
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Law and Order said the attack "should prompt the government to strengthen its intelligence and security capabilities to deal with this new deadly threat."
The army immediately tried to probe the hypothesis of a suicide bombing. Philippine Armed Forces spokesman Colonel Edgard Arevalo said the security forces were still investigating and there was no reason to conclude that there was a suicide bombing or bombing. An attack perpetrated by a stranger. 19659003] Craft Bomb
"It is possible that the driver blew up the IED (improvised explosive device) .It is possible that the bomb was accidentally triggered by people's cell phones. "There are many possibilities, but we do not want to speculate," he said.
Lt. Colonel Gerry Besana, Western Mindanao Command Public Affairs Officer, said that It was premature to say who was responsible for the attack.
"Let us [just call them] spoiler for peace," he said. "We can not [immediately] say that it is Abu Sayyaf or IS (Islamic State) because once we have identified that [attack] to their group, it would be like renting them. "
& # 39; war crime & # 39;
A soldier, five militiamen and four civilians, including a mother and child, were killed in the US. xplosion, military officials said. The driver, the only person in the van, was also killed.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque called the attack a "war crime." 
"It's a blind attack". "Under international humanitarian law (IHL), you must limit your attacks according to military objectives, you must limit it to military targets, you must avoid protected persons, including civilians." # 39; Test Mission '?
Muntinlupa's representative, Ruffy Biazon, stated that if the explosion turned out to be a suicide attack, "
M. Biazon said the authorities should check if the actual target was the checkpoint or if the attack was a "test mission" to the country. recruit and train extremists to carry out other attacks.
It could also be a sloppy mission aimed at a larger target, he added.
Furigay said the bomb could have been destined for a parade of more than 3,000 people. School children in the center of the city, about two kilometers from Bulanting, later on Tuesday morning to celebrate the culmination of a nutrition program.
He called the militia and the soldiers who stopped the van "heroes" for
"As a 500-pound bomb"
Col. Montano Almodovar, commander of the 3rd Ranger Scout Battalion, said that the explosion occurred around 5.45am, a few meters from the checkpoint held by militiamen, Scouts Rangers and Special Forces troops [19659003] "It was a powerful explosion," Almodovar said. "It looked like a 500-pound bomb that was stuck in the van."
He said the militiamen decided to stop the van when they saw "two large containers and big kettles with wires inside."
the driver "looked more like a stranger and did not speak the local dialect."
The militiamen sought the help of their superiors because they could not communicate with the driver, said Almodovar. When they were about 20 meters away, the van exploded, "he said.
Abu Sayyaf conspiracy
Some farm animals were also killed in the l […]
Arevalo told reporters that AFP had received reports that the Abu Sayyaf group led by Furuji Indama was planning to bomb various parts of Basilan
"This terrorist group of Furuji Indama is losing ground , quickly losing ground. That is why they are now resorting to these desperate movements in order to disrupt the massive capitulations of ASG members in Basilan and Sulu, "he said.
In June, more than 200 men of Abu Sayyaf surrendered to Basilan, General Juvymax Uy, Chief of Joint Anti-Terror Task Force Basilan
Uy estimated that at least 40 remained in the Basilan group, too small to affect peace and security. Order in the province – With reports of Bong Sarmiento, Leila B. Salaverria, Jeannette I. Andrade, Julius N. Leonen and Julie M. Aurelio in Manila, and the sons [19659035] Do not miss the latest news and information 
