2006 Central Mindanao bombings
Encyclopedia
The 2006 Central Mindanao bombings were a series of three bombings and one attempted bombing in Central Mindanao on October 10 and 11. Eight people were killed and between 30 and 46 were injured.
, a predominantly Christian agricultural region in Sultan Kudarat, killing two women and injuring at least 4 others. A guard reportedly found the bomb in a bag filled with packets of corn chips and attempted to remove it from a crowd before it exploded, preventing more casualties. The bomb was described as being formed from a mortar round and remotely triggered by cell phone, however it apparently went off prematurely.
, causing no casualties.
province, blamed members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF) for the bombings, citing similarities withprevious bombings. According to Piñol, the bomb used in Makilala had the "all the signatures of the MILF".
Army bomb experts said that the bomb was detonated via a mobile phone
and that twenty missed calls were logged when the phone was found.
Others suggest the Abu Sayyaf
or Jemaah Islamiyah
(JI) was behind the attacks, as the arrest of Istiada Binti Oemar Sovie, the wife of JI leader Dulmatin
, in Sulu may have prompted the attacks. Dulmatin himself is reportedly hiding on Jolo Island
.
, Mindanao
(including Sulu), and Cebu
.
The United Kingdom
, Canada
, Japan
, New Zealand
, and the United States
also issued travel warnings.
Tacurong
A bomb exploded in a public market in Tacurong CityTacurong City
Tacurong City is a 4th class city in the province of Sultan Kudarat, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 82,546. Tacurong now has a total land area of 15,340 hectares, the smallest in land area among the 12 municipalities that compose the new province of Sultan...
, a predominantly Christian agricultural region in Sultan Kudarat, killing two women and injuring at least 4 others. A guard reportedly found the bomb in a bag filled with packets of corn chips and attempted to remove it from a crowd before it exploded, preventing more casualties. The bomb was described as being formed from a mortar round and remotely triggered by cell phone, however it apparently went off prematurely.
Makilala
A bomb exploded at around 8 p.m. in front of the town hall of Makilala town in the southern part of North Cotabato province, killing 6 and injuring at least 42 others. The bomb exploded nearby a row of commercial stalls and a carnival during celebrations of Makilala's founding anniversary. Quoting witnesses, the North Cotabato Provincial Police Chief stated an unidentified man carrying a plastic bag was seen visiting a stall selling alcohol in a crowded area along a highway, the explosion occurred minutes later. The powerful explosion destroyed a row of stalls, two motorcycle taxis and left a deep crater in the asphalt road, the Police Chief said. The following day, another bomb was defused by the authorities nearby.Cotabato City
On October 11, another bomb went off near a bank and a shopping mall in Cotabato CityCotabato City
The City of Cotabato is one of the cities of the Philippines located in Mindanao. Cotabato City is an exclave of the SOCCSKSARGEN region found within the boundaries of Maguindanao province, but is independent of that province...
, causing no casualties.
Government
Emmanuel Piñol, the governor of CotabatoCotabato
Cotabato , is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the SOCCSKSARGEN region in Mindanao...
province, blamed members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
Moro Islamic Liberation Front
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is an Islamist group located in the southern Philippines. It is one of two Islamic militant groups, the other being the Abu Sayyaf, that are fighting against Government of the Philippines...
(MILF) for the bombings, citing similarities withprevious bombings. According to Piñol, the bomb used in Makilala had the "all the signatures of the MILF".
Army bomb experts said that the bomb was detonated via a mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
and that twenty missed calls were logged when the phone was found.
Others suggest the Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf also known as al-Harakat al-Islamiyya is one of several military Islamist separatist groups based in and around the southern Philippines, in Bangsamoro where for almost 30 years various Muslim groups have been engaged in an insurgency for an independent province in the country...
or Jemaah Islamiyah
Jemaah Islamiyah
Jemaah Islamiah , is a Southeast Asian militant Islamic organization dedicated to the establishment of a Daulah Islamiyah in Southeast Asia incorporating Indonesia, Malaysia, the southern Philippines, Singapore and Brunei...
(JI) was behind the attacks, as the arrest of Istiada Binti Oemar Sovie, the wife of JI leader Dulmatin
Dulmatin
Dulmatin was a senior figure in the militant group Jemaah Islamiyah and one of the most wanted terrorists in Southeast Asia....
, in Sulu may have prompted the attacks. Dulmatin himself is reportedly hiding on Jolo Island
Jolo Island
Jolo is a volcanic island in the southwest Philippines. It is located in the Sulu Archipelago, between Borneo and Mindanao, and has a population of approximately 300,000 people....
.
International
A day after the attacks, the Australian government advised its nationals to exercise a “high degree of caution...due to high threat of terrorist attack” and to avoid places frequented by foreigners in Metro ManilaManila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
(including Sulu), and Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
.
The United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
also issued travel warnings.