An explosion hit a passenger bus in Aleozan, Cotabato on Tuesday morning, Jan. 11, injuring seven individuals including four minors, the military said.
Lt. Col. John Paul Baldomar, spokesperson of the Philippine Army’s 6th Infantry Division (6ID), said the incident occurred around 8:15 a.m. involving a Mindanao Star Bus unit with body number 15511.
Baldomar said the bus was plying along the national highway when the rear portion of the vehicle suddenly exploded. The bus originated from Davao and was bound to Cotabato City when the explosion happened.
Out of the seven injured victims, a five-month-old child was critically wounded.
Baldomar identified the other victims as Haron Solaiman, 24; Masid Piang, 25; Rodolfo Castillo, 67; and three other minors aged 17, five, and three years old. They were all rushed to the hospital for immediate medical care.
“Sa ngayon, wala pang grupong nagke-claim ng responsibility sa ipalagay nating attack (Right now, no group has claimed responsibility for what we can call an attack),” he said.
Baldomar said they have coordinated with the police for the conduct of an investigation to identify the suspect/s behind the attack and determine what kind of explosive was used.
“May nagsasabi kasi na IED , may nagsasabi na granada so ongoing pa ang investigation (There were some people saying it was an IED while others claimed it was a grenade so the investigation is still ongoing),” he stated.