Military says suicide bomber looked like a Caucasian woman

A MILITARY official said the militant who blew up before entering a detachment in Indanan, Sulu appeared to be a Caucasian woman.

Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, Western Mindanao Command commander, said the severed head of the militant that was recovered at the blast site showed features of a Caucasian woman with long hair.

Sobejana said, however, that the hand looked like that of a man.

He said the Armed Forces of the Philippines will turn over to the Philippine National Police the head and other recovered body parts of the suspected suicide bomber for a DNA examination.

The militant appeared to be a pregnant woman wearing a black Muslim woman’s gown who tried to enter a detachment in Barangay Tagbak, Indanan, Sulu.

The militant suddenly exploded. No civilian or military personnel was harmed in the incident.

Recovered at the blast site was the triggering device allegedly used by the bomber as well as severed body parts, including the head.

The incident was the third case of suicide bombing in the country since January 2019 and the fourth since 2018.

On January 27, 2019, a Sunday, two bombs detonated by a couple of suspected suicide bombers exploded in the middle of a mass in Jolo Cathedral in Sulu.

At least 23 people, mostly civilians, were killed while 109 others were injured in the incident.

On June 28, 2019, two alleged suicide bombers attacked a military command post in Indanan.

Eight persons, including three soldiers, were killed in the attack perpetrated by two suicide bombers.

This was considered the most alarming because one of the perpetrators was identified to be a Filipino named Norman Lasuca, who was born and raised in Barangay Astorias in Jolo, Sulu.

Lasuca was the very first Filipino to take part in such gruesome attack.

PNP spokesperson Brigadier General Bernard Banac said PNP in coordination with the AFP will continue to strengthen its intelligence monitoring and security operations in the country’s southernmost region.

“Ito ay kaganapan lamang sa bahagi ng Western Mindanao at wala naman po dapat ikabahala ang ating mga kababayan dito sa bahagi ng Luzon at Visayas at na-contained naman ang threat doon sa bahagi ng Western Mindanao,” he said. (SunStar Philippines)