By Robina Asido

Army chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana confirmed Tuesday that two suicide bombers were behind the explosion in Jolo on Monday where at least 16 were killed.

The latest count includes the two suicide bombers. Seven soldiers, one police commando and six civilians were earlier reported killed.

Sobejana did not say if these were Indonesians as reported by a radio station who quoted him earlier.

In a message to the Daily Manila Shimbun, Sobejana identified the suicide bombers as "alias Nanah, from Basilan province who is the wife of the late Norman Lasuca", the suicide bomber at the gate of the 1st Brigade Combat Team headquarters in Sulu and "alias Inda Nay, from the province of Sulu but later resided in Tawi-tawi, the wife of alias Abu Talha."

"The two female suicide bombers are the same targets being tracked by the group of Major (Marvin) Indammog before they were killed by policemen on 29 June 2020," he said. He was referring to the four Army intelligence officers who were allegedly shot in Jolo,

Sobejana also mention that Mundi Sawadjaan is the mastermind of the two bombing incidents.

"It is the signature of the group of Mundi Sawadjaan, the mastermind of the bombing there in Jolo. He is under the Abu Sayyaf Group under Hatib Sawadjaan, who we think is already dead but we do not officially declare unless we have proof of death. But there is 90 percent probablity that he was already killed in one of our encounters," he said.

Sobejana clarifies the initial report that the improvised bomb on the first explosion was placed inside a motorcycle.

"It's not (in the motorcycle). The motorcycle is only in proximity (of the area). That is why it seems that the bomb came from it. But it's not, based on the testimonies of the witnesses and on the CCTV footage," he said.

Brig. Gen. William Gonzales, Joint Task Force Sulu commander, said according to bomb experts the explosion did not come from the motorcycle.

"Based on the result of the investigation of the EOD ( explosives and ordnance division), they are the bomb experts, it's not in the motorcycle," he said.

However, Gonzales said the investigators could not confirm the identity and gender of the first suicide bomber. But they said the second blast was carried out by a female suicide bomber.

"The (suicide bomber on) first explosion was not yet identified if female because the explosion really destroyed the body, unlike in the second explosion her scalp identified that she is a woman. including her feet. But on the first one, our experts are having difficulties," he said. DMS