Troops, cops foil suspected BIFF bomb attempt in Cotabato

COTABATO CITY, Philippines - Authorities foiled on Wednesday night an attempt by suspected members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) to set off a bomb near the city’s main police precinct.

Army and police bomb experts managed to promptly defuse the improvised explosive device, first noticed by vigilant passersby.

Senior Superintendent Raul Supiter, city police director, said he is thankful to the people who immediately reported seeing an IED along a busy street several meters away from the Cotabato City police precinct 1.

Supiter said probers are still trying to establish the people responsible for the bungled bombing attempt.

Text messages are circulating purporting that the BIFF was behind the foiled bomb attack, in retaliation for the arrest in Kalanganan District here Wednesday night of the group’s internal affairs officer, Hassan Indal.

Indal was nabbed by a combined Army-police team at his hideout, along with his son, Alih.

Alih, however, resisted arrest and was shot dead by the raiding team when a grabbed a firearm hidden in their lair and opened fire, provoking a shootout.