Suicide bomber attacks Sulu military camp

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — A foreign-looking female suicide bomber was killed after exploding a bomb while attempting to attack a military detachment in Indanan, Sulu yesterday. 

The attack occurred at 5:45 p.m. near a checkpoint in the vicinity of Kilometer 3 Detachment in Barangay Kajatian.

Maj. Arvin John Encinas, spokesman of Western Mindanao Command, said troops at a checkpoint spotted the suspect and took a defensive position.

As troops warned her not to get close to their detachment, the suspect detonated the bomb, killing herself.

Except for the suicide bomber, no one was reported hurt, the military said.

Col. Gerald Monfort, Joint Task Force Sulu spokesman, said the suspect was wearing a black Muslim abaya dress that concealed the explosives. 

“The suicide bomber was in abaya attire, a woman and foreign-looking with long hair based on the recovered mutilated head,”he said.

Security forces had recovered the triggering mechanism of the bomb that was detonated by the bomber.

The military could not immediately say if the suspect was among foreign militants being coddled by the Abu Sayyaf which launched two separate suicide bombing attacks that hit the Jolo Cathedral in January and a military detachment in June this year, also in Indanan.

 The scene of the crime had been
secured, officials said.

The Westmincom called on Sulu residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious items and personalities to authorities.