Jolo, Sulu – At least 15 people including three children were wounded after back-to-back explosions rocked the vicinity of a mosque situated in a Philippine National Police (PNP) camp here Friday night.
Of the victims, 10 were police officers while five others including the three minors were civilians. The twin blasts in the remote southern island province – occurring just minutes apart – were reportedly caused by grenades.
Town Mayor Hussin Amin said the first explosion took place at 7:30 p.m. near the mosque at the Camp Police Sr. Supt. Julasirim A. Kasim in Asturias, Jolo. The initial attack wounded four civilians.
About 10 minutes later, another grenade was hurled by unidentified individuals near the site of the first explosion. It felled 10 policemen as a result, including a senior police officer.
Amin identified the injured civilians as Sildaya Imbay, 38, female, married; Alrasheed Imbay, 11, male; Arsheeda Imbay, 7, female; Faujiya Mudah, 12, female, and Yvone Aya-Ay, 22, female.
The wounded cops were identified as Police Senior Inspector Jeremy Dogao, SPO1 Johny Wahid, SPO1 Benhar Ladjamalik, PO1 Arkis Duran and PO1 Tantung Muksan, all assigned at the Sulu provincial Public Safety College.
Sulu-detailed PNP-Special Action Force (SAF) members P02 Emmanuel Abin, PO1 Hinaro Accad, PO1 Elorde Alem, PO1 Al-Aziz Sakilan and PO1 Mark Tulavan were also reported hurt.
MANILA BULLETIN
