Bombing attempt vs. power lines blamed on extortionists
COTABATO CITY
Police authorities in North Cotabato said the attempt to blow up a steel power transmission tower was the handiwork of al-Khobar extortion group operating in the province.
Insp. Winston Seniel, Carmen town police chief, said a powerful improvised explosive device was defused by bomb experts under a steel tower of National Transmission Corporation in Sitio Dungguan, Barangay Ugalingan, Carmen town.
The police earlier received information about the IED planted by unidentified men at the foot of the steel tower and when checked at about 8:30 p.m. the information turned out to be positive.
Army bomb experts defused the explosive an hour later.
Seniel blamed the al-Khobar, a group of former Moro rebels turned bandits, for the attempt.
He said the group was also responsible for setting off a powerful IED under the dump truck owned by businessman Eddie Untalan.
Untalan has received an extortion letter earlier in the day but ignored it. The suspects then warned him of bomb attack if he continues to ignore the demand for grease money.
At about 8:30 p.m. on Christmas Day, the bomb went off but nobody was hurt.
Al-Khobar was believed responsible for setting off IEDs in North Cotabato targeting bus companies, business establishments and even local government units.
It was also linked to the bus bombings in South Cotabato and bus companies plying the Cotabato-Davao route.
Following the discovery of IED, Seniel alerted his men and called on the people to cooperate with the local police to prevent terror acts of al-Khobar. (PNA)
Tags:
attempt, extortion, philippine, power-grid, stunt, terror, was
Posted at: 01:56 | Add Comment
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