1 dead, 6 hurt as blast rocks downtown Jolo

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – A powerful bomb exploded in downtown Jolo, capital town of Sulu at dawn yesterday leaving one person killed and wounded six police personnel, according to officials.

Lt. Gen. Ben Dolorfino, Commander of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) said the improvised explosive device (IED) exploded beside the Jolo municipal jail, which is adjacent with the Jolo police station about 4:10 a.m.

Dolorfino said the explosion initially triggered a fire but was immediately put off by the responding firemen.

Dolorfino identified the lone casualty as a certain Basir, an old man said to be a municipal jail worker.

The six wounded police personnel were immediately rushed to the Sulu provincial hospital for treatment.

Brig. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, Joint Task Force Comet chief based in Jolo, said the powerful explosion severely damaged the police station and the jail and left a huge crater.

The explosion also damaged a US military-funded edifice utilized as coordinating center for peace projects in the province.

“The explosion was powerful as it left a huge crater measuring 15 feet diameter by six feet deep and badly damaged the police station,” Guerrero said.

Guerrero ruled out the possibility that the bombing could be a sympathy attack with the declaration of martial law in Maguin­danao.

Guerrero said assessment of the military explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) unit described the bomb looking like other bombs used by the Abu Sayyaf and Moro rebels in the previous bombings on bridges in Indanan town.

Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan called on the police to investigate thoroughly the bombing to determine the motive of the attack while directing to intensify more the security in the province.

Sulu has remained under a state of emergency that was declared early this year following the abduction of three workers of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Jan. 15 and were subsequently released one after the other after months in captivity.

“The bombing attack could still be a retaliation (of the Abu Sayyaf) against the airstrike that was launched last August in Indanan where undetermined number of the militants were neutralized,” Guerrero said.