Bomb found near cop station

KIDAPAWAN CITY – Bomb experts defused an improvised explosive device (IED) at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday found at the back of the police headquarters along Jose P. Laurel St.

Operatives of the Army's 63rd Explosives and Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team used a ball-charged disruptor to defuse the IED.

The EOD said the bomb used two 60-mm mortars attached to each other as main charge. A detonating cord was tied to it and the mobile phone as triggering device.

After the disruption, the EOD team and the Scene of the Crimes Operatives (Soco) in North Cotabato were still in search of the blasting cap.

The blasting cap, according to them, is important to determine if the explosive is set to ignite or not.

The IED recovery took place two days after the turnover of new police command in Kidapawan City.

On Friday, Superintendent (Supt.) Renante Cabico relinquished his post to Supt. Joseph Semillano, former Midsayap municipal police station, as the new city police director.

The turnover was witnessed by new Cotabato Police Director Danny Peralta.

The incident also happened while the culmination of the three-day city sports meet was ongoing at the Kidapawan City Pilot Elementary School, which is just a block away from the police station.

Authorities have yet to determine if the latest IED recovery in Kidapawan City is connected to the bomb attacks in nearby Tacurong City and Isulan in Sultan Kudarat.