DAVAO CITY, May 2 (PNA) — Police authorities thwarted a plan to bomb this city after killing an alleged terrorist who possessed an improvised explosive device before dawn Tuesday along Magtuod road, Barangay Maa here.

Senior Superintendent Alexander Tagum, Davao City Police Office (DCPO) director, said the suspect, whose identity is still being withheld, was killed when he tried to shoot it out with DCPO’s joint intelligence and SWAT teams when flagged down at a checkpoint at around 3 a.m.

His companion, however, escaped.

Tagum said the explosive device, fashioned from a 60mm mortar shell, is similar to the one used in the Roxas night market bombing in September last year.

Senior Inspector Maria Theresita Gaspan, DCPO spokesperson, said the suspect disembarked from a motorcycle and pulled out a cal. 28 pistol when accosted by the police.

Police operatives also confiscated from the possession of the suspect a hand grenade, detonation cord and two pieces of blasting caps.

Tagum said they are tracking the companion of the suspect.

He added that they have informed other nearby provincial police offices to help track the suspect’s companion.

Gaspan noted that police authorities were placed on alert after receiving information Monday evening that a group allegedly out to bomb the city boarded a gray Toyota pickup and a black Honda XRM in the vicinity of Bangkal, this city.

This prompted the DCPO director to deploy operating teams to track down the group. (PNA)