The 6th Infantry Division disclosed on Sunday that suspected improvised explosive device exploded inside a bus in Sultan Kudarat on Sunday morning, killing an individual and leaving several passengers injured.

Reports from 6ID commander Maj. Gen. Roy Galido revealed that a passenger bus of Yellow Bus Line company was traversing from Kidapawan, North Cotabato to Koronadal City, South Cotabato when an explosion rocked the vehicle as it passed through St. Louis Hospital in Barangay Isabela, Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat around 11:30 a.m.

6ID spokesperson Lt. Col. Dennis Almorato said that one passenger reportedly died while 11 others injured, which were brought to St. Louis Hospital for immediate treatment.

"Most likely, the IED exploded while the bus was traversing because the start point is in M'lang. If they are going to Marbel or Koronadal City, probably they will have a stopover in Tacurong," Galido said.

Galido added that they are already coordinating with the local police to identify the perpetrators behind the IED explosion but he noted that the bus company is the target of an extortion group.

"The YBL has been constantly receiving extortion messages ever since and we have been working with them. It just so happened that we could not coordinate our operation so maybe the enemies countered," Galido said.

Nonetheless, the military commander said that they already have leads as to the identities of the suspects.

"We're working with the police to do counteraction on possible suspects," Galido said.

"Hopefully, we can get them soon," he added.

This is the third bus of the same company where an IED exploded.

On 26 May this year, an IED went off inside a bus moving along Gensan Drive in front of East West Bank, in Barangay Zone 3, Koronadal City, South Cotabato at noon that day, followed by another explosion near the Tacurong City bus terminal in Barangay Calean at past 1:30 p.m.

After the twin bombing, Brig. Gen. Eduardo Gubat, then OIC commander of the Joint-Task Force Central, blamed the attack on Dawlah Islamiyah Mindanao. He said the group conducted diversionary tactics after a series of military operations against them in Ligawasan Marsh.