Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan was among 12 persons injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded and ripped the international airport in Zamboanga City Thursday night, officials said. One person was also killed.

Gov. Tan, in a television interview, said he could be the target of the blast.

Chief Superintendent Edwin Corvera, director of the Zamboanga Peninsula Regional Police, said they are conducting investigation to determine if one of the casualties was actually the one carrying the bomb which exploded at 6:15 p.m. Thursday near the arrival area of the Zamboanga International Airport.

“We are still conducting investigation to determine if one of the victims was the one carrying the IED (improvised explosive device),” Corvera told the Manila Bulletin in a phone interview.

This was echoed by Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat who revealed that the initial result of the investigation points to the lone male fatality as the principal suspect.

“Actually the initial assessment was that the one who died was the one carrying the bomb,” said Lobregat in a television interview.

“As to whether or not it was a premature explosion or it exploded on the body (referring to possible suicide bombing) is still not clear, it is still the subject of the investigation,” he added.

Corvera said the report they received is that three male injured persons were taken to the nearby hospital.

Lobregat, however, said that at least 12 were injured, one of them in serious condition.

“Some of the passengers were leaving the terminal while some were still inside the terminal when the explosion occurred,” said Lobregat.

“It was an IED, but I would like to clarify that it was outside the airport, near the arrival area” said Corvera, for his part.

Corvera said that it would be easier for them to identify the perpetrators as well as the possible motive once they confirmed the report that one of the fatalities were involved in the bombing.

“It is too early at this point to say who’s responsible, we still don’t know. We still have to find out,” said Corvera.

“The investigation on the explosion is going on, we don’t want to speculate as to what type of bomb was used, for whom the bomb was intended for and who the bombers are,” said Lobregat.

The explosion occurred a few days after a suspected member of the regional terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) cell member Edgar Malaydan was arrested in Monkayo, Compostela Valley.

The extremist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and its JI cohorts have been usually tagged in bombing activities in the past but security forces were able to control cases of terror attacks in the past months following the neutralization of some of the two groups’ key members and leaders.

But investigation is being conducted if the bombing has something to do with the arrival of Gov. Tan in the airport Thursday evening.

Lobregat said he had already convened a local Crisis Management Committee, its first meeting was held Thursday evening right near the explosion site. The CMC was attended by top military, police and local government officials.