THE government security forces have tightened security to prevent further occurrence of violent incidents in Zamboanga City.
This came after a grenade exploded inside a mosque at Sitio Logoy Diutay in Talon-Talon village that resulted to the death of two people and injured three others.
The victims, who were members of the Tabligh, were asleep when an unidentified person switched off the street light and tossed a grenade into the mosque around 12:20 a.m. Wednesday, January 30.
Colonel Leonel Nicolas, Task Force Zamboanga commander, said that part of the tightened security measures is the conduct of checkpoints and patrols around this city.
Nicolas said that intelligence personnel were also deployed to gather information that could lead to the solution of the incident.
He has met with Ulama council officials and mosque administrators at Mahad Moro in the village of Sta. Barbara and discussed concerns on security.
The Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) headed by Senior Superintendent Thomas Joseph Martir continues to investigate to establish the motive and identify the suspects responsible for the incident.
Responding policemen have recovered a safety lever, ball bearings, a fuse assembly, a spring striker, a part of a cock striker, and shattered pieces of a body casing at the blast site.
Lieutenant General Arnel Dela Vega, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, urged the residents of this city to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activities to concerned authorities.
“Your cooperation will help your security forces to conclude speculations and thwart terror plots in the area,” Dela Vega said.
Meanwhile, the three wounded victims namely: Palson Asgali, 44; Alnizkar Sabbaha, 30; and, Jikilani Albani, 60, were already discharged from the hospital.
The remains of Hadji Sattal Bato, 47, anb Rex Habil were immediately taken to the respective homes in Basilan province and were buried in accordance to Islam tradition.
Bato is a resident of the village of Marketsite, Isabela City while Habil is a councilor in the village of Matatag, Lamitan City. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)