PHILIPPINES. Sulu. Suicide bombers killed Filipino soldiers amid the nation´s COVID-19 crisis this week. There was also monitoring of another bombing attempt in the same city.
Female Suicide Bombers Shatter Sulu
Two explosions killed 15 and injured 75 people on 24 Aug. in Jolo, Sulu. First, the bomb exploded at the Paradise Food Plaza at 11:54 AM. After the incident, the military responded to the affected area along with curious bystanders.
At this time, a woman approached the clearing area but a soldier stopped her from entering. She then triggered a bomb explosion that killed everyone in the range at 12:57 PM.
Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana identified two female suicide bombers in the Philippine News Agency report. “Their aliases are Nanah from Basilan and Inda Nay from Tawi-Tawi in Sulu,” he said.
The armed forces of the Philippines suspect the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) is behind the bombing. Inquirer reports a connection to four army intelligence officers killed in June of this year.
Possible connection to four soldiers killed by the police in Sulu
Sulu policemen reportedly killed four army intelligence officers in a shootout back in June. However, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) tells otherwise. The four Filipino soldiers drove back to Jolo in civilian clothes and were pulled over by the police.
The police told them to go to the Jolo municipal police station. Instead, they did not stop at the police station. This resulted in a police chase. Eventually, the policemen caught up and the soldiers stepped out of their vehicle. At this point, the policemen shot them to death.
The NBI stated, “The police officers simultaneously attacked the army intelligence officers without the opportunity to defend themselves.” The policemen are believed to be relatives of ASG members, as reported in an article by Aljazeera.
