Ammonium nitrate traced in Basilan blast: Lorenzana

FILE: Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (Photo courtesy: PTV via PNA)

MANILA — Ammonium nitrate is among the components of the improvised explosive device (IED) that killed 11 people and wounded six others in Lamitan City, Basilan last month, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said.

“Ang balita dyan is ammonium nitrate (ang ginamit).

It is used for fertilizers, these people are expert in making bomb because they can use this ammonium nitrate (as an explosive agent) along with gunpowder and some triggering device,” Lorenzana told reporters Friday.

Lorenzana, meanwhile, said checks are ongoing in Basilan, Sulu and Zamboanga to determine whether significant amounts of ammonium nitrate have been acquired there.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines earlier said that it is still trying to identify the driver of the van-loaded with IEDs which exploded near a military checkpoint in Lamitan City, Basilan last July 31, killing himself and nine others aside from wounding seven more people.

Another victim, one of the seven wounded, died in the hospital early this week raising the death toll to 11.

The said van suddenly exploded while the troops were about to inspect the vehicle at a checkpoint in the boundaries of Barangays Bulanting, Colonia and Maganda in Lamitan City.

The military is eyeing Abu Sayyaf leader Furuji Indama as the mastermind behind the blast in response to the growing number of terrorists surrendering in Basilan.