Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 5) — Authorities are conducting a manhunt to find two persons of interest in the deadly bombing last Sunday in Marawi City, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Tuesday.
“Your armed forces is already conducting a manhunt, a massive operation, to go against the perpetrators of this incident,” AFP chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner told CNN Philippines’ The Source, adding they are optimistic they will be able to catch these people soon.
The Philippine National Police on Monday identified at least two persons of interest who could be behind the bombing at the Dimaporo Gymnasium in Mindanao State University.
Brawner said both persons of interest are male. He also said 19 witnesses were interviewed and some of them said they saw a man wearing a black jacket and a black mask enter the gymnasium with a bag and later left without it.The AFP official said he has no information about the other person being sought by authorities.ISIS earlier claimed responsibility for the attack. Brawner confirmed that they saw the statement made by the terrorist group on the dark web, and authorities are already looking into it.Initial investigation has shown that no cell phone or device triggered the bomb remotely, he said. Authorities have also rejected the possibility that the attack was a suicide bombing.Brawner said the bomb used can be easily concealed since it is only 8 inches long with a diameter of 4 inches.The AFP official also said the bombing may be a retaliatory attack, as it came in the heels of a number of government operations against terrorist groups.There was an operation against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Maguindanao on Dec. 1, and another on Dec. 2 that killed Abu Sayyaf Group leader Mudzrimar Sawadjaan, known to be responsible for the 2019 Jolo Cathedral bombing that killed 20 people.
