“Based from a conversation with Wesmincom commander Lt. Gen. Arnel dela Vega, this person whose name or identity is not known yet is part of the group of Furuji Indama,” sabi ni Armed Forces spokesperson Col. Edgard Arevalo.
Ito’y matapos namang pasabugin ng driver ng van ang bomba sa isang checkpoint ng militar sa Lamitan City, na nag-iwan ng isang patay na sundalo, limang militiamen at apat na sibilyan. Dead on the spot din ang driver ng van.
Base sa ulat, pinara ang driver ng van sa checkpoint. Sinasabing banyaga ang driver, bagamat sinabi ni Arevalo na hindi pa ito napapatunayan.
“We can’t say that this is a foreign terrorist or a foreigner driver because he himself was killed in the blast. The personnel who had contact with the driver also died in this incident,” dagdag ni Arevalo.
“This group of Furuji Indama is swiftly losing ground ground so they are now resorting to desperate moves in order to disrupt the mass surrender of Abu Sayyaf members in Basilan,” sabi pa ni Arevalo.
Kasabay nito, nanawagan si Arevalo sa publiko na tigilan ang pagtawag sa insidente na “lone wolf attack.”
“These are speculations. Up to now, the investigation is still ongoing,” ayon pa kay Arevalo.
Nangyari ang car bomb sa Basilan ilang araw matapos sabihin ni Pangulong Duterte na bukas siya sa dayalogo sa Abu Sayyaf.