The first known Filipino suicide bomber may have been behind the recent deadly explosions in Indanan, Sulu, the Philippine military said today.
They identified Norman Lasuca, 23 years old, as one of two suicide bombers, according to reports.
Major Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) told ABS-CBN News that the suspect was identified by his family.
The bombings occurred in a military camp in Indanan, Sulu on Friday afternoon and killed 8 people including three soldiers, the two suspected bombers, and three civilians. At least 12 others were also injured.
The first bomb exploded as soldiers were about to inspect one bomber’s bag in the camp’s guard house. The other bomb went off shortly after when the other attacker managed to run inside the camp, another ABS-CBN News report states.
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack and said that the suicide bombers were from the IS-linked Abu Sayyaf Group.
While the alleged Filipino bomber’s family has identified him, the military also said today that this still needs to be verified through a DNA test. According to GMA News, authorities are still waiting for the results of the test.
“Pending determination by the DNA test based from the samples taken from the remains and samples from the alleged mother, if that’s going to be positive, then that’s the only time we can say with conclusivity (sic) that indeed the person is Filipino,” AFP Spokesman Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo said in a press briefing today.
The AFP is also still trying to ascertain if it was indeed a suicide attack.
Sobejana said that Lasuca, the suspect, had allegedly been estranged from his family since 2014. He left his family to join a militant Abu Sayyaf faction headed by Hajan Sawadjaan, SunStar reported. A woman who said she was the suspect’s mother went to Camp Teodulfo Bautista in Jolo, Sulu today and claimed the suspect’s remains.
The AFP said that the other attacker, who has been described as Caucasian, has not yet been identified.
