Troops foil bomb attempt on gasoline station

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Security forces foiled a bombing attempt on a gasoline station in the downtown of Isabela City, Basilan early Monday evening, an official said.

Police said the bomb was spotted by civilians planted at ASL gasoline station along Barangay Riverside about 6:30 p.m.  Monday.

Prior to its discovery, an improvised explosive device (IED) also exploded earlier in the day at Barangay Baguindan in Tipo-Tipo town. No one was reported hurt.

Superintendent Albert Larubis, Isabela City Police chief, said investigation disclosed that two unidentified persons with bonnets aboard a motorcycle dropped a black plastic bag that contained the IEDs before speeding off.

A military explosive ordnance and disposal team responded after being alerted and defused the improvised bomb. 

Police Inspector Arnold Antero Espares, who led the team, said post blast investigation showed the bomb was fashioned through a cooking brass pot as casing, with bomb components that include ammonium nitrate, cellular phone, rocker switch and blasting cap and wrapped with packaging tape.

The police believed that the bomb plot was part of the extortion activities of the Abu Sayyaf group targeting the business establishments and prominent families in Isabela City.

The attempt was the third attack within a month since October in Isabela City alone.

The same group also staged attacks in Lamitan City targeting the public works office.

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Mujiv Hataman revealed that he and the local government executives were not even spared by the extortion activities of the Abu Sayyaf group that threatened those who refused to give in to their demands.

Hataman said the towns mayors of Basilan have already given the signal to the military to launch offensive against the Abu Sayyaf group in Basilan to prevent the group's terrorism from escalating.