A Caucasian-looking woman blew herself up while attempting to enter a military detachment in Sulu in what the military said was the third suicide bombing in the province and the fourth in Mindanao since last year.
The military’s Joint Task Force Sulu said no soldier was hurt or killed during the suicide bombing attempt at the gate of the Army’s 35 Infantry Battalion at Barangay Kajatian in Indanan, Sulu, at around 5:45 p.m. on Sunday.
The bomber was wearing a black Abaya and was first thought by soldiers to be pregnant with her bulging belly, but which turned out later to a pipe bomb that she carried and used for the attack.
Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command commander Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said the woman who had a long hair was a Caucasian based on the hands, feet and head that were recovered. The head was thrown about 30 meters away.
The bomb’s trigger mechanism, a fuse, was also recovered.
Sobejana said they were still in the process of determining the nationality of the suicide bomber, although she could be a part of the group of Hadjan Sawadjaan, a leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group based in Sulu.
The military said Sawadjaan assumed as the acting head of the Islamic State in Mindanao following the death of Isnilon Hapilon in October 2017 during the Marawi City siege. Hapilon was the emir of the IS in Southeast Asia.
Sawadjaan and his group had also been responsible in the bombing of the Jolo cathedral in Sulu in January this year, which was carried out by an Indonesian couple who are suicide bombers.
Excluding the Jolo cathedral, the latest suicide bombing was the second in Sulu and the third in Mindanao following the bombing last year in Lamitan City, Basilan, which was carried out by a Moroccan through a van laden with explosives.
In June this year, Filipino Norman Lasuca and a foreigner detonated themselves at the gate and compound respectively of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, also in Barangay Kajatian, Indanan. Lasuca was a member of the ASG under Sawadjaan.
Sobejana said that Lasuca and the woman in the latest suicide bombing were part of a five-man suicide bombers that have dedicated themselves for the purpose, and were all working for the group of Sawadjaan.
Less Lasuca, the Moroccan and the woman in the latest attack, Sobejana said they were still on the lookout for two more suicide bombers, who could be within the area of the Western Mindanao Command.
“There are five of them who were anointed, who have been given with the task to explode themselves,” Sobejana said, adding the photos of the five with their bombs were even posted on the Internet.
The military commander said that Lasuca even posted himself with the bomb before he carried out the attack.
“So there are three that we are monitoring, but with the explosion yesterday, two more were left,” Sobejana said.
An alert soldier who was manning the gate of the 35th IB saw the woman who was walking toward the gate of the camp, but shouted her to stop. The woman did not heed, prompting the soldier to warn her in Tausug, which alerted other soldiers and took battle positions while seeking cover.
The woman detonated herself.