3 Hurt in Isulan Blast; Terrorism Ruled Out

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/03 February) — Three persons, including a suspect, were injured in a grenade explosion before noon Tuesday inside the public market of Isulan town in Sultan Kudarat.

Supt. Jemuel Siason, chief of the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Public Safety Company, said the blast at occurred around 11:15 a.m. at a busy section of the public market, hitting the suspect and two other bystanders.

Citing results of their initial investigation, he said a man identified as Raheb Pangelaton Dimaluloy, 36, initially came to the public market looking for a person over an undisclosed grudge.

He said Dimaluloy, who was listed as a resident of Barangay Dimakiling in Paglat town in Maguindanao, brought along a grenade, which he supposedly planned to use on his target.

“As he was walking towards his target, the grenade slipped from his hands and exploded as it hit the ground,” he said in a radio interview.

Siason said the suspect sustained injuries on various parts of his body as a result of the explosion, which triggered panic among market goers and stall owners.

He identified the two other injured victims as Maylene Vargas, 29, of Barangay Dansuli and minor Bandar Abraham of Barangay Kalawag 2 in Isulan town.

The three are currently being treated at the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Hospital in Isulan, he said.

Siason said the circumstances of the incident showed that it was not terrorism-related and considered an isolated case.

He said it had no connection to recent incidents in nearby areas, especially the clash in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao last Jan. 25 that killed 44 members of the Philippine National Police’s Special Action Force, 18 Moro rebels and four civilians.

The official said they remain on high alert as a result of the incident and noted that the security situation in the area is considered under control. - MindaNews

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