The military is checking if the female suicide bombers in Jolo, Sulu explosions, could be the wives of terrorists the government forces killed in 2019.
One of the bombers could be the wife of Norman Lasuca, the Filipino suicide bomber who attacked an army base in Indanan town also in Sulu.
Philippine Army chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana told GMA News Online that the authorities are currently verifying information if Lasuca’s wife is an Indonesian national.
“Actually kasalukuyan nating kino-confirm kasi may mga report before na ‘yung asawa ni Norman Lasuca ay Indonesian national. Ngayon kaya nga winiwithhold namin ‘yung mga pangalan. Vinavalidate nating mabuti,” Sobejana said in a phone interview.
(Actually, we are currently confirming because there were reports before that Norman Lasuca’s wife is Indonesian national. Now we can hold the names. We validate it well.)
Sobejana added the other female suicide bomber could be the wife of Abu Talha, an ISIS liaison to the Abu Sayyaf. Military troops killed Talha in encounter in Patikul last year.
Authorities said fifteen people – seven soldiers, six civilians, one police officer, and the female “suicide bomber” died in the two explosions in Jolo.
The twin blasts also injured over 70 people, according to the military.
According to Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., chief of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), the suspects behind the Jolo twin blasts was the same persons the Army intelligence officers in Jolo is pursuing before several Jolo cops killed them on June 29.
Jolo bombers could be wives of terrorists killed in 2019
In 2019, eight people, including three soldiers, were killed and at least 12 injured in an Islamist twin suicide bomb attack at a Sulu Island Army base.
One of the suicide bombers was identified as Norman Lasuca, a Filipino citizen.
Eyewitnesses have described how one of the militants was accosted by troops but managed to detonate his bomb while the second dashed into the camp and detonated an explosive near a parking lot.
Also, in 2019, ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) liaison Abu Talha was killed after government troops, and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) collided in Sulu.
The military further said that Abu Talha was also an expert in creating improvised explosive devices and also served as an instructor in the ASG.