Islamic State claims powerful van bomb attack in southern Philippines
The explosion, which killed 11 people, happened as pro-government militants were inspecting a van that stopped at the checkpoint
A bomb exploded in a van in the restive southern Philippines on Tuesday, killing 11 people at a military checkpoint in what militant group Islamic State called a suicide attack for which it claimed responsibility.
Regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Gerry Besana said six army scout rangers and a militiaman were wounded in the explosion after dawn outside an army militia outpost that tore a crater in the road and damaged the outpost in Lamitan city in one of the worst terrorist attacks in the country this year.
Militiamen, who have been alerted on possible bombings, stopped the van at a checkpoint in Colonia village, where the bomb went off, military officials said.
“If he triggered the bomb, he was probably waiting for a more opportune time to inflict harm on a bigger number of people,” Besana said, referring to the driver, who died in the blast. “That’s their death wish – the more, the merrier.”
In a statement carried by its Amaq news agency, Islamic State claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing attack, which it called “a martyrdom operation”.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque condemned the bombing as a “war crime”, calling it “an illegal use of force, even in times of armed conflict”.