2 Army men hurt in Jolo blast

Two Army engineers were wounded Sunday when an improvised explosive device went off near an airport in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, a military official said. Major General Benjamin Dolorfino said the casualties – Pfc. Nasser Asid and Pfc. Sajirun Jamil – were on board a motorcycle on their way to a mosque at about 7:10 p.m. when they were hit by shrapnel from the blast. “They were riding a motorcycle on their way to the mosque to pray when the incident happened," Dolorfino said, adding that both are already in stable condition. Dolorfino, chief of the military’s Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom), said the explosive device was placed at a service road between an Army headquarters and the office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) at the end of Jolo Airport. “We cannot immediately determine the composition of the bomb. Our experts will analyze it first," he said. The official said the blast could be a handiwork of the notorious Abu Sayyaf group. “Our initial suspect is the Abu Sayyaf. They are usually the ones involved in the bombings." The Abu Sayyaf is a loosely organized band of Islamic extremists which has ties to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda terrorist network. - GMANews.TV