A woman wearing a black “abaya,” a robe-like dress, blew herself up at a military detachment in Indanan, Sulu late Sunday.
Except for the suspected suicide bomber, no one was hurt, the military reported.
Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Western Mindanao Command, said the unidentified abaya-wearing suspect tried to force herself into the detachment of the Philippine Army 35th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Tagbak at 5:48 p.m.
“According to the guard on duty, an unknown terrorist in black abaya attire appearing to be pregnant and suspicious approached the entrance gate of KM3 detachment of 35th Infantry Battalion,” Sobejana said.
This was corroborated by the initial statement of Lt. Col. Gerard Monfort, spokesman of the Joint Task Force Sulu.
“Ang report ng personnel on guard nakita niya na nakaabaya, black abaya, trying to enter ng detachment and then after that sinigawan nila huwag pumasok,” Monfort said. “Malaki ang tiyan, unusual. Sinigawan niya na huwag ka pumasok, wala pa ring nangyayari kaya nagtakecover na siya,” he added.
The personnel then shouted to the suspect in Tausug but she kept on ignoring him.
Other soldiers then took a fighting position and hid behind sandbags to protect themselves, Monfort said. “Then sumabog na lang bigla,” he noted.
Sobejana said that a severed head belonging to a “foreign-looking woman” and a piece of hand which looked like a man’s were found at the blast site.
A manual fuse igniter was also recovered by authorities.
Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesperson, confirmed that the suspect is female. “Nakumpirma na ito ay babae kasi ang ibang parte ng katawan after the post-blast investigation ay na-recover and it leads to the conclusion na ito ay babae,” Arevalo said.
Monfort said they have yet to determine the identity of the bomber. “Yes (it was suicide bombing) pero under investigation pa ‘yung identity,” Monfort confirmed.
Major Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of Joint Task Force Sulu, blamed the extremist Abu Sayyaf Group for the incident, saying it was an “indication” of the group’s “desperation to sow fear among the people of Sulu because of their dwindling membership and strength.” (Martin Sadongdong)