2019 Indanan bombings

Last updated
2019 Indanan bombings
Part of Moro conflict
Ph locator sulu indanan.png
Location Indanan, Sulu, Philippines
Date28 June 2019
Target Philippines military
Attack type
 Suicide bombing
Deaths6 (+2 perpetrators)
Injured24

The 2019 Indanan bombings occurred on 28 June 2019, when two suicide bombers detonated their explosives in two areas of a military camp in Indanan, Sulu, Philippines killing three soldiers and three civilians. The Philippine military confirmed it was two suicide bombers that caused the attack. [1] [2] They also believed that the attack was conducted in a similar manner to an attack on a cathedral in Jolo in January 2019. The military also blames the Abu Sayyaf for the earlier attack. [3]

Contents

Bombings

The attacks took place at a tactical command post of the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the Philippine Army in Barangay Kajatian. The first bomber detonated their improvised explosive device while being inspected at the military facility's gate [3] while a second bomber described as an individual with a short stature wearing black and a bonnet ran into the camp shortly after the first attack. Soldiers fired shots at the second bomber who dropped to the ground causing the bomb he was wearing to detonated. The bomber was believed to be heading to the camp's barracks where there was an ongoing ceremony at the time of the attacks. [4]

Aside from the two bombers, the blasts killed six others; three soldiers and three civilians. [5] 14 other soldiers were left injured. [6]

Perpetrators

One of the perpetrators of the bombings was a 23 year old Filipino militant who was a member of an Abu Sayyaf faction led by Hajan Sawadjaan. The individual was identified as a first case of a Filipino national carrying a suicide attack in the country which is a cause of concern by authorities. [7] The Filipino militant was the one responsible for the first explosion at the military camp's gate. [4]

The other bomber was characterized as a person with Caucasian features and of Moroccan descent. [7] The identity of the second bomber was a presumption by the military from visual assessment of troops and the viewing of old videos of two Moroccan boys under the custody of Sawadjaan after their father detonated himself in the 2018 Lamitan bombing. [8]

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant also claimed credit for the bombings. [9]

Reactions

Domestic

President Rodrigo Duterte conferred posthumous recognition to the three soldier casualties. The soldiers who died as a result of the attack were awarded the Order of Lapu-Lapu, Rank of Kalasag. He also paid a visit to 14 soldiers injured from the attack. [6]

Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana voiced concern regarding the frequency of suicide bombings in the country after the Indanan bombings followed the 2018 Lamitan and January 2019 Jolo Cathedral bombings which were believed to be suicide attacks. [10]

Personnel of the Army 1st Brigade Combat Team stationed elsewhere were deployed in Sulu to boost security efforts in the area. [4]

Security analysts

Some security analysts from outside the Philippines noted of the attack. Zachary Abuza of the National War College in Washington described the Indanan bombings as an escalation but added that it is also a "sign of increased radicalization" while Sidney Jones said the incident brought a "lethal new ideology" in the country. Jones described that the influence of the noted that Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's influence in the Philippines "remains strong" citing the recent suicide bombings in the country and recent propaganda videos of the group. [9] But Dr. Rommel C. Banlaoi, Chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research (PIPVTR) and former Professor of Political Science at the National Defense College of the Philippines, argues that a suicide bombing involving a Filipino is no longer surprising as the Tausugs in Mindanao have the long history of suicide attacks during the Spanish and American colonial occupations. [11] Dr. Banlaoi also warns that the successive incidents of suicide bombings in the country are indications that suicide terrorism is the newest face of threat in the Philippines and everybody should do their part to counter it. [12] As early as 2006, Dr. Banlaoi was already warning about the possibility of suicide terrorism in the Philippines involving a Filipino. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abu Sayyaf</span> Jihadist militant group in the southwestern Philippines

Abu Sayyaf, officially known by the Islamic State as the Islamic State – East Asia Province, was a Jihadist militant and pirate group that followed the Wahhabi doctrine of Sunni Islam. It was based in and around Jolo and Basilan islands in the southwestern part of the Philippines, where for more than five decades, Moro groups had been engaged in an insurgency seeking to make Moro Province independent. The group was considered violent and was responsible for the Philippines' worst terrorist attack, the bombing of MV Superferry 14 in 2004, which killed 116 people. The name of the group was derived from Arabic abu, and sayyaf. As of April 2023, the group was estimated to have about 20 members, down from 1,250 in 2000. They used mostly improvised explosive devices, mortars and automatic rifles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines</span> Military operation

Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines (OEF-P) or Operation Freedom Eagle was part of Operation Enduring Freedom and the global War on Terror. The Operation targeted the various Jihadist terror groups operating in the country. By 2009, about 600 U.S. military personnel were advising and assisting the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the Southern Philippines. In addition, by 2014, the CIA had sent its elite paramilitary officers from their Special Activities Division to hunt down and kill or capture key terrorist leaders. This group had the most success in combating and capturing Al-Qaeda leaders and the leaders of associated groups like Abu Sayyaf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jolo, Sulu</span> Capital of Sulu province, Philippines

Jolo, officially the Municipality of Jolo, is a 1st class municipality and capital of the province of Sulu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 137,266 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patikul</span> Municipality in Sulu, Philippines

Patikul, officially the Municipality of Patikul, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Sulu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 79,564 people.

The Dos Palmas kidnappings was a hostage crisis in southern Philippines that began with the seizing of twenty hostages from the affluent Dos Palmas Resort on a private island in Honda Bay, Palawan, by members of Abu Sayyaf on May 27, 2001, and resulted in the deaths of at least five of the original hostages. Three of these hostages were American citizens, Guillermo Sobero, and a married missionary couple, Gracia and Martin Burnham. At least 22 Filipino soldiers were killed in attempts to apprehend the captors and free the hostages in the 12 months following the initial hostage taking. An unknown number of captors were killed by government forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moro conflict</span> Separatist conflict in the Philippines

The Moro conflict was an insurgency in the Mindanao region of the Philippines which involved multiple armed groups. Peace deals have been signed between the Philippine government and two major armed groups, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), but other smaller armed groups continue to exist. In 2017, the peace council settled around 138 clan conflicts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Mindanao bombings</span> Terrorist attacks in Datu Piang, Jolo, Cotabato, and Iligan in Mindanao, Philippines

The Mindanao bombings was a series of seemingly unrelated bomb attacks that took place on July 4, 5, and 7, 2009 in the towns of Datu Piang and Jolo, and the cities of Cotabato and Iligan in Mindanao, Philippines. The bombings killed around 7 people and injured at least 66. The Armed Forces of the Philippines has blamed several militant organizations active in Mindanao, such as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Abu Sayyaf, and Jemaah Islamiyah.

The 2000 Sipadan kidnappings was a hostage crisis in Sabah, Malaysia, and the southern Philippines that began with the seizing of twenty-one hostages from the dive resort island of Sipadan at approximately 6:15 p.m. on 23 April 2000, by up to six Abu Sayyaf (ASG) bandits. Taken hostage were 10 tourists from Europe and the Middle East and 11 Malaysian resort workers, 19 non-Filipino nationals in total. The hostages were taken to an Abu Sayyaf base in Jolo, Sulu.

This article contains a timeline of events from January 2016 to December 2016 related to the IS-linked Abu Sayyaf. This article contains information about the events committed by or on behalf of the Abu Sayyaf, as well as events performed by groups who oppose them.

The following is a list of attacks which have been carried out by Abu Sayyaf, a militant group based in and around Jolo and Basilan islands in the southwestern part of the Philippines, where for more than four decades, Moro groups have been engaged in an insurgency for an independent province in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maute group</span> 2012–2019 Philippine Islamist militant group

The Maute group, also known as the Islamic State of Lanao, was a radical Islamist group composed of former Moro Islamic Liberation Front guerrillas and foreign fighters led by Omar Maute, the alleged founder of a Dawlah Islamiya, or Islamic state, based in Lanao del Sur, Philippines. The group, which a Philippine Army brigade commander characterized as terrorist, had been conducting a protection racket in the remote settlements of Butig, Lanao del Sur. It has clashed on several occasions with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the most significant of which began in May 2017 and culminated in the siege of Marawi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Lamitan</span>

The siege of Lamitan took place on 2 June 2001 when members of the Islamic terrorist group Abu Sayyaf entered the city of Lamitan, one of two Christian settlements in the predominantly Muslim province of Basilan in the Philippines. They took over a church and a hospital and held priests, medical staff and patients hostage. Government forces surrounded the Muslim extremists, preventing their escape. However, the Abu Sayyaf group managed to break out of the cordon by using their hostages as human shields.

The Philippines is one of the state opponents of the militant group, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), more commonly referred to by the local media as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

This is a chronology of the Moro conflict, an ongoing armed conflict in the southern Philippines between jihadist groups such as the Abu Sayyaf Group, the Maute Group, Jemaah Islamiyah, and Islamic State affiliates, mainstream separatist groups such as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), and the Philippine Government since 1971. Much of the fighting has been concentrated on the island of Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago, with spillover incidents and attacks occurring in the Philippine capital Manila and neighboring countries such as Malaysia.

On July 31, 2018, a bomb exploded in the town of Lamitan in Basilan, Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">11th Infantry Division (Philippines)</span> Military unit

The 11th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, also called the Alakdan Division, is one of the Philippine Army's infantry units in Mindanao. Currently still forming, the Division is expected to complete its equipment and manpower requirements by 2022. It is the youngest of all the infantry divisions of the Army and will have 4,500 troops when fully formed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Jolo Cathedral bombings</span> 2019 bombing of Jolo Cathedral in Sulu, Philippines

In the morning of January 27, 2019, two bombs exploded at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Jolo, Sulu, Philippines. Twenty people were killed and 102 others injured. The bombings took place a week after the autonomy plebiscite held on January 21 for the creation of Bangsamoro. It is believed that the Abu Sayyaf carried out the attacks, and the Islamic State claimed responsibility. President Rodrigo Duterte responded by issuing an "all-out war" directive against the Abu Sayyaf. The bombings were widely condemned by other countries and organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jolo Cathedral</span> Roman Catholic church in Sulu, Philippines

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, also known as Jolo Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Jolo, Sulu and the seat of the Apostolic Vicariate of Jolo. The cathedral is located in Jolo, a volcanic island in Sulu Province of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in the Philippines. The cathedral is dedicated to the Virgin Mary under the title Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

The 2020 Jolo bombings occurred on August 24, 2020, when insurgents alleged to be jihadists from the Abu Sayyaf group detonated two bombs in Jolo, Sulu, Philippines, killing 14 people and wounding 75 others. The first occurred as Philippine Army personnel were assisting in carrying out COVID-19 humanitarian efforts. The second, a suicide bombing, was carried out near the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral.

References

  1. ↑ "Philippine army camp blast kills five; Islamic State claims..." Reuters. 28 June 2019. Archived from the original on 29 June 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  2. ↑ Fonbuena, Carmela (28 June 2019). "8 killed, 22 wounded in attack on military camp in Sulu". Rappler. Archived from the original on 2019-07-01. Retrieved 2019-07-01.
  3. 1 2 Peralta-Malonzo, Third Anne (1 July 2019). "Jolo, Indanan bombing attacks similar, military says". SunStar Manila. Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 "Second Sulu bomber was heading for barracks when stopped by soldiers – AFP chief". Manila Bulletin. 3 July 2019. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  5. ↑ "8 killed, 12 wounded in Sulu blast". ABS-CBN News. 28 June 2019. Archived from the original on 29 June 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  6. 1 2 Corales, Nestor (4 July 2019). "Duterte honors 14 soldiers wounded, killed in Sulu blasts". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  7. 1 2 "Philippines: 1st known Filipino suicide attacker identified". Washington Post. 2 July 2019. Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  8. ↑ Alipala, Julie (3 July 2019). "AFP: No conclusive proof yet that Sulu bomber was Moroccan". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  9. 1 2 "More suicide attacks in Philippines driven by ISIS influence". The New Paper. 4 July 2019. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  10. ↑ Wu, Qin (1 July 2019). "Philippine defense chief voices concern over suicide bombings in Philippines". Xinhua. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  11. ↑ "Rise of Suicide Terrorism in the Philippines". YouTube .
  12. ↑ "Suicide terrorism in PH on the rise — security expert".
  13. ↑ "Suicide Terrorism in the Philippines".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.