Bomb attack on bus in Philippines linked to possible extortion attempt

A homemade bomb went off in a bus and killed a passenger and wounded 10 others in a southern Philippine city in an attack authorities suspect may be part of an extortion attempt, officials have said.

The bus with an unspecified number of passengers was approaching a transport terminal in Tacurong city in Sultan Kudarat province when the bomb went off at the back of the vehicle shortly before noon, police said on Sunday.

Investigators were trying to determine if the attackers were from the same armed group that had staged similar bombings in past years to extort money from the Yellow Bus Line, which operates in key southern cities, military and police officials said.

Regional army commander Major General Roy Galido said the bus company “has been constantly receiving extortion messages.”

The military and police have been working with the bus owners to capture the extortionists, who may have been angered by the bus company’s refusal to pay off, Galido said.

Police have blamed a local affiliate of the Daesh terror group for similar bus bombings in the past.

This is a developing story and will be updated.