THE military has placed five towns, which form part of the “Metro Jolo,” under lockdown “to prevent further casualties and preempt any other untoward incident.”
This came after 11 people, including seven soldiers, were killed while 34 others were wounded in two successive bomb explosions Monday, August 24, 2020, in downtown Jolo.
The Metro Jolo covers the towns of Jolo, the capital of Sulu province, Indanan, Parang, Patikul and Maimbung.
Ten people, including six soldiers, were killed while 25 others--16 soldiers and nine civilians--were wounded in the first explosion around 11:55 a.m. near Paradise Food Plaza along Serrantes street in Walled City village, Jolo.
Police investigation showed that the explosion happened moments later when an unidentified person parked a bomb-laden motorcycle beside an M35 truck of the Army’s 11th Infantry Division.
The explosion site is the usual place where the troops park their vehicle whenever they go on marketing.
While troops were cordoning off the bomb site, a suicide bomber attempted to penetrate the area and blasted himself near a government bank in front of New Trading along Sanchez Street in the same village around 1 p.m.
The second explosion resulted in the killing of one soldier and the wounding of nine government forces--three soldiers and six policemen.
“Ground troops continue to establish the circumstances and identify the perpetrators behind this inhumane attack,” said Major General Corleto Vinluan, Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom).
“As per initial investigation, the first explosion emanated from a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device whereby two of our military vehicles parked in the area were partially damaged,” Vinluan added.
“We call on the peace-loving people of Jolo to be more vigilant and to offer prayers for the victims of the two explosions,” he further said. (SunStar Zamboanga)