COTABATO: A pipe bomb exploded on a bus and killed a passenger and injured 10 others in a southern Philippine town on Sunday in an attack authorities suspect was part of an extortion attempt, say officials.
The bus carrying an unknown number of passengers was approaching a transport terminal in Tacurong Town in Sultan Kudarat province when the bomb exploded in the rear of the vehicle shortly before noon, police said.
Investigators were trying to determine whether the attackers belonged to the same armed group that had staged similar attacks in previous years to extort money from yellow bus linewhich operates in major cities in the south, military and police officials said.
Army Regional Commander, Major General Roy Galido said the bus company was “constantly receiving extortion messages”. The military and police worked with bus owners to catch the extortionists, who may have been angered by the bus company’s refusal to pay, Galido said.
The police accused the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fightersa small rebel force that has aligned itself with the Islamic State group, for similar bombings in the past.
The group split years ago from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front when the latter began peace talks with the government and accepted an offer of Muslim autonomy in a five-province region in the nation’s predominantly southern Roman Catholic.
The bus carrying an unknown number of passengers was approaching a transport terminal in Tacurong Town in Sultan Kudarat province when the bomb exploded in the rear of the vehicle shortly before noon, police said.
Investigators were trying to determine whether the attackers belonged to the same armed group that had staged similar attacks in previous years to extort money from yellow bus linewhich operates in major cities in the south, military and police officials said.
Army Regional Commander, Major General Roy Galido said the bus company was “constantly receiving extortion messages”. The military and police worked with bus owners to catch the extortionists, who may have been angered by the bus company’s refusal to pay, Galido said.
The police accused the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fightersa small rebel force that has aligned itself with the Islamic State group, for similar bombings in the past.
The group split years ago from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front when the latter began peace talks with the government and accepted an offer of Muslim autonomy in a five-province region in the nation’s predominantly southern Roman Catholic.
