Grenade Lobbed into Army Base in Maguindanao del Norte; Investigation Underway

COTABATO CITY — A man on a motorcycle lobbed a hand grenade into an Army detachment in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte, on Saturday night, July 18, but no one was hurt in the explosion, a military official said Sunday. READ: PNP: No threat to BARMM polls amid start of gun ban Lt. Colonel Ronald Suscano, spokesperson of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, told the Inquirer the grenade landed inside the command post of the Charlie Company, 7th Infantry Battalion, in Barangay Macaguiling, Sultan Kudarat, at 7:50 p.m. CCTV footage showed a man on a motorcycle slowing down in front of the Army base, alighting from his motorcycle, lobbing the grenade, and then speeding away. “The explosive landed in the middle of the Army base,” Suscano said. “All Army units in the province have been placed on heightened alert. Our security activities will continue as the election campaign period is set to begin,” Suscano said. “Their motive is clearly to disrupt the peace and order condition of the province,” he added. Suscano said they are still investigating who perpetrated the attack. No one has claimed responsibility so far. On Saturday morning, two soldiers and three civilians were hurt in a grenade attack in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur. The campaign period for the historic BARMM parliamentary elections is set to begin on July 30, with the gun ban taking effect across the region on July 16. /mcm