Maguindanao Norte — A suspected member of the extremist group Dawlah Islamiya (DI) died when an improvised explosive device (IED) he was carrying detonated prematurely on Sunday morning in Maguindanao del Sur province.
According to a news release by Philippines News Agency, spokesperson for the Army's 601st Infantry Brigade, the explosion occurred around 7:30 a.m. in Barangay Sambulawan, Datu Salibo town, Maguindanao del Sur. The initial Army investigation identified the deceased as Commander Pagadian of the DI-Torayfe Group. No civilians were injured in the incident, although it did cause concern among the residents of Sambulawan, a populated village in Datu Salibo.
In a subsequent radio interview, Balogan could not confirm whether the explosion was related to any elections. However, he noted that local authorities are in the process of determining where the deceased intended to plant the IED and what the motive might have been. Datu Salibo is known to be an area of operation for the DI and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), both local terrorist organizations.
This incident marks the second premature explosion involving a bomb courier in Maguindanao del Sur this month. On October 14, another individual, identified as Tantrex Amerudin Eskak, a member of BIFF, also died due to an accidental explosion while assembling an improvised bomb in Barangay Malangog, Datu Unsay town.