TACURONG CITY, Sultan Kudarat – At least 16 people, including three policemen and two soldiers, were injured after two improvised bombs exploded within a gasoline station’s area here Monday night.
Senior Supt. Raul Supiter, Sultan Kudarat police director, said the first improvised explosive device went off inside the comfort room of Dragon Mart and gasoline station located along Barangay New Isabela, this city at around 6:45 p.m..
Supiter said as security forces responded to the scene, another IED exploded within the premises of the crime scene some 20 minutes later.
The second explosive was placed in a garbage drum in front of Dragon Mart.
Supiter said the two explosions were carried out simultaneously to prevent responding security forces from conducting investigation in the area.
Among those wounded were SPO2 Jasper Garcia, PO1 Eleazar Sustiguer, PO2 Martin San Pedro, all members of Tacurong City police station, Staff Sergeant Leogeon Presaldo and Staff Sgt. Ramil Garde, both assigned with the Task Force Talakudong.
Police arrested two suspects who were acting suspiciously at the crime scene.
Supiter identified the suspects as Warren Gani and Juhari Gani, who both claim to be members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Confiscated from the two suspects were two fragmentation grenades.
The twin explosions came as local authorities are still investigating the bomb attack on the office of Sultan Kudarat Electric Cooperative here last April 3 that injured eight people. (JOSEPH JUBELAG)
