BIFF hand seen in another explosion

MANILA, Philippines - An explosion rocked Maguindanao on Saturday night.

Authorities believe the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) set off the explosion in retaliation for a military raid on their lairs last month.

Col. Dickson Hermoso, Army 6th division spokesman, said three improvised explosive devices were set off to blow up a tower of the National Grid Corp. in Barangay Ladia, Sultan Kudarat town at around 8:45 p.m.

“The tower did not collapse so we still have electricity here,” he said.

Three explosions have rocked Central Mindanao since security forces ended the offensives against the BIFF last Feb. 2.

Last Feb. 5, an improvised explosive device blew up shortly after a 10-vehicle military convoy passed by Barangay Tuka in Mamasapano town.

Two Simba armored vehicles, three KM 450 military trucks, two local government vehicles and three media vehicles were about 100 to 200 meters from the explosion site.

No one was hurt in the explosion, which happened while the military was clearing the area of explosives.

Two civilians were injured in another explosion after two days in Kabacan in Cotabato.

An improvised explosive device prematurely blew up in front of the Kabacan Water District office while military and police bomb experts were disrupting it.

Last Jan. 27, security forces started raiding BIFF lairs to arrest leaders with criminal cases.

Troops seized four BIFF camps and an explosive factory in Maguindanao.

BIFF founder Umra Kato and his senior aide Ustadz Muhaiden Animbang were able to evade the soldiers.

Kato is facing several criminal charges for leading attacks against civilians in Mindanao in 2008.

A total of 52 BIFF members and one soldier were killed during sporadic encounters in Sharif Saydona, Rajah Buayan and Datu Piang in Maguindanao and Pikit in Cotabato.