Mother dies, father-son hurt in North Cotabato blast

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines — A woman was killed while two others, one of them a minor, were injured in an explosion in Pikit town in this province before dawn Thursday.

Local officials identified the fatality as Misbah Masla of Barangay Kabasalan in Pikit town in the first district of North Cotabato.

Barangay Kabasalan is not too distant from the 220,000-hectare Liguasan Delta, a known haven of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters that uses the flag of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria as banner.

Masla’s husband, Alimoden, and 10-year-old son, Edwin, were injured in the blast.

In a statement Thursday, the Western Mindanao Command said Alimoden is a member of the BIFF.

The WestMinCom said he is a follower of the fanatical cleric Abu Toraife, whose real name is Abdulmalik Esmael, leader of one of three BIFF factions.

Now confined in a hospital in the town proper of Pikit along with his son, Alimoden said it could either be a rocket launched from military helicopter or an artillery round fired from a distance that hit their house.

The WestMinCom said initial reports reaching the office of its commander, Major Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, indicated that there was an accidental explosion of a home-made bomb in the house of Alimoden that resulted in the death of his wife from blast injuries.

The BIFF has a strong presence in towns located along the Liguasan Delta.