A SOLDIER and a civilian were hurt after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded by the roadside in Tipo-tipo, Basilan on Monday, April 12, the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) said.

Lieutenant General Corleto Vinluan Jr., Westmincom commander, said troops from the 12th Division Reconnaissance Company were conducting mobile patrol in Sitio Bohe Bekew, Barangay Baguindan at around 6:25 a.m. when the IED went off.

The injured were given first aid before they were transferred to a hospital in Lamitan for further medical treatment. They were in stable condition.

Brigadier General Domingo Gobway, commander of the Joint Task Force Basilan, said reinforcement troops were conducting clearing and pursuit operations.

Vinluan said the Abu Sayyaf Group might have been behind the attack.

“The Abu Sayyaf Group tends to conduct desperate attacks since their weakened manpower and capability can no longer withstand the military’s all-out offensives. They engage in inhumane attacks to gain popularity and to show off their potentials,” he said. (SunStar Philippines)