Suicide bombings a new threat in Mindanao

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – The threat from terrorist groups in Mindanao has risen to a new level due to suicide bombings.

Authorities have recorded five incidents since July 2018, when a Moroccan detonated his car bomb near a military checkpoint in Lamitan City, Basilan.

The attacks left 33 people dead, including nine suicide bombers, and more than 100 others wounded. 

Forensic examinations and DNA tests confirmed that two of the suicide bombers are Filipinos.

The wave of suicide attacks  this year started in January when an Indonesian couple blew themselves up at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo during a mass. 

Six soldiers, a Coast Guard personnel and 15 civilians  were killed and more than 100 other people were wounded. 

Five people, three of them soldiers, were killed and 11 other persons were wounded in a suicide attack on the First Brigade Combat Team  headquarters in Sitio Tanjung, Barangay Kajatian, Indanan, also in Sulu, on June 28.

Authorities said a Moroccan and Norman Lasuca, the first Filipino suicide bomber, were behind the attack. 

On Sept. 8, an Egyptian woman, Reda Mohamad Mahmud detonated a bomb attached to her body while trying to slip at an Army checkpoint, also in Barangay Kajatian. There was no reported casualty.

Last Nov. 5, Mahmud’s husband Baker al Seddik Barakat, his stepson Abdurahmil and a Filipino identified only as James were gunned down during a firefight at an Army checkpoint while trying to enter Jolo, also for an alleged suicide mission.

Two vests rigged with explosives, a gun and a grenade were recovered from the Egyptians.

Intelligence reports showed that Abu Sayyaf leader Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan masterminded the attacks and tapped the foreign terrorists.

Sawadjaan reportedly recruited members of the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah identified as Rullie Rian Zeke and Ulfah Handayani Saleh,  who were tagged in the Jolo Cathedral bombing.

Sawadjaan’s group is said to be recruiting more foreign terrorists to launch suicide attacks.

Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Western Mindanao Command chief, said the military is taking various initiatives to track down foreign and local terrorists to prevent them from staging more attacks.

Sobejana said the Trilateral Cooperative Agreement between Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines is also being enhanced to secure their common borders and monitor the movement of Islamic State-inspired fighters in the region.