AFP not ready to buy IS claim

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it will not discount other groups, apart from the pro-Islamic State (IS) Abu Sayyaf (ASG), as being behind the foiled attack in Lamitan City, Basilan that claimed the lives of 11 people, including the suspected terrorist.

The IS owned up to the attack in the terror group’s Amaq news agency describing it as a “martyrdom operation.”

AFP spokesman Col. Edgard Arevalo said any terrorist group or organization can conveniently claim responsibility and ride on the incident for its own glorification.

“Jumping into it will be like aiding their narrative and lending themselves (the people) as instruments of terrorists’ propaganda,” Arevalo said.

“Nevertheless, we are not discounting the possibility that they (IS) are indeed responsible — just as there is also a possibility that other groups besides the Abu Sayyaf Group could be responsible for that dastardly and cowardly terrorist act,” he added.

Reports indicated troops near the Magwakit Detachment in Barangay Colonia, Lamitan City intercepted a white van containing improvised explosive device (IED) around 5:50 a.m. last Tuesday.

The vehicle exploded while undergoing inspection, killing one soldier, five CAFGU and four civilians, including the driver — who was believed to be the suspect. Also wounded were one CAFGU and six members of the 9th Scout Ranger Company.

The IED were intended for targets in downtown Lamitan City and masterminded by veteran ASG leader Furuji Indama, Arevalo earlier had said.

He added the attack was in response to the growing number of ASG terrorists voluntarily surrendering to government forces and causing the bandit group to lose ground in Basilan.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana condemned the bombing but he urged the public not to jump into conclusion on the incident, saying that investigators should be allowed to do their job.

“Although we are not discounting them entirely, all of these are just pure speculations at this time and are now the subject of an investigation being conducted by a joint team of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police,” Lorenzana said.