ON ALERT. Soldiers inspect a powerful bomb that was eventually deactivated by Army explosive ordnance demolition personnel Sunday (April 10, 2022) at a roadside in Barangay Matagobong, Ampatuan, Maguindanao. Troops are on alert as the national and local elections on May 9 are fast approaching. (Photo courtesy of 6th Infantry Division)
CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao – Government forces in this province have been placed on alert after Sunday's recovery of an improvised explosive device (IED) on a roadside in Ampatuan town.
Soldiers under the Joint Task Force (JTF)-Central removed the IED on a cornfield near the road in Barangay Matagobong after a tip-off from residents in the area, Col. Oriel Pangcong, the Army's 601st Infantry Brigade commander, said Monday.
Pangcong said they immediately cordoned the place where the bomb was found to prevent people to pass by the area, adding that the IED was safely deactivated by Army explosive ordnance demolition personnel.
Pangcong said the recovered IED is a highly explosive anti-personnel mine (HE-APM) with an 81-millimeter mortar shell as the main charge. Also recovered were an electric blasting cap and a battery.
Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, JTF-Central commander, described the IED as the "kind of explosive that, if not properly disposed of, could destroy properties and cause the loss of innocent lives."
Uy, also the Army's 6th Infantry Division commander, reiterated his call for residents to immediately report any suspicious and unattended objects found in their communities.
“With the community, local government units, and security forces working together to attain peace and security, a harmonious and prosperous community can be attained,” he said. (PNA)
