Bomb Planted in Yet Another Church

ICC Note:

Police in Kabacan, Philippines defused the third bomb targeted at a religious instiution in the past three days on Saturday. The bomb was the second attempt on the Iglesia ni Cristo Church, in addition to another grenade that was thrown at a Jehovah’s Witnesses church days earlier.

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11/29/08 Philippines (Inquirer.net) Unidentified men planted another powerful improvised explosive device (IED) in front of a church in Kabacan, North Cotabato on Saturday, police authorities said.

Chief Insp. Franklin Anito, Kabacan police chief, said the bomb was found in front of the Iglesia ni Cristo church at 5:30 a.m. by passersby, who quickly alerted the police.

It was the second time that the INC church was targeted for bombing and the second church in Kabacan subjected to bomb attack in three days.

“Bomb experts defused the explosive just in time,” Anito said.

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“The police and military remain clueless on the motive of the attackers. It could be just to sow fear, but the explosives were live so it could also be meant to harm and kill people,” Ando said.

On Thursday evening, a “low-grade” grenade was lobbed at the gate of the Jehovah’s Witnesses church also in Kabacan. Nobody was hurt in the incident.

The next morning, an IED made from an 81-millimter mortar shell and fitted with a timer and blasting cap was found in front of the INC church.

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Shortly after the discovery of the first bomb at the INC on Thursday, Ando said MILF rebels could have wanted to ease the heat on Ombra Kato in Maguindanao and the planting of the bombs was part of their plan.

Kato is being accused of leading the August attacks in North Cotabato, which killed more than a dozen people.

The MILF has denied any hand in the bomb plot against places of worship in Kabacan.

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