CARMEN, North Cotabato, Philippines — Four suspects in the bombing of a bus in Aleosan town on Tuesday were killed in an alleged gunfight with soldiers in this town yesterday.
Authorities said three of the slain suspects were identified as Norodin Hassan, a leader of the Dawlah Islamiya terrorist group, and his henchmen Abdonilla Hassan and Abdunha Hassan.
“We have validated reports that these men pulled off the bombing of a unit of the Mindanao Star bus five days ago,” Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, 6th Infantry Division and Joint Task Force Central commander, said.
A five-year-old boy died and six others, three of them children, were wounded when the bomb went off along the Cotabato-Davao Highway in Barangay San Mateo.
Probers said extortion could be the motive for the bombing.