|
Monday, March 07, 2005
Grenade attack in crowded market foiled
COTABATO -- Army troops with bomb-sniffing dogs found a grenade that was set to explode in a crowded public market, foiling what was believed to have been a retaliatory attack by kidnappers in a southern city, military officials said Sunday.
The grenade was found Saturday afternoon near a stall in the market in Tacurong city and safely defused, military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Buenaventura Pascual said.
The grenade was placed in a box with some mechanism that would make it go off if it was slightly moved, Pascual said.
About a week ago, a 60mm mortar round attached to a timer was found by a waitress in a restaurant in the same market and defused by authorities, military officials said.
The explosives may have been planted by suspected members of the Pentagon, a kidnap gang composed of former Muslim rebels that is on a US list of terror groups, military officials said. Military officials believe the group wanted to avenge the death of five members, who were slain in a shootout with troops last month in Maguindanao province, near Tacurong.
Many of the kidnappers' past victims were traders from Tacurong, a predominantly Christian agricultural region 950 kilometers (590 miles) southeast of Manila. (AP)
(March 7, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
Fire razes trading firm in San Fernando