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Friday, July 07, 2006
Grenade thrown at house of Maguindanao guv (4:00 p.m.)
MANILA -- Motorcycle-riding assailants lobbed a grenade Friday at the house of a provincial governor in the southern Philippines but it failed to explode, days after his militiamen clashed with Muslim rebels.
The fighting in Shariff Aguak, about 900 kilometers (560 miles) south of Manila, subsided this week after displacing as many as 20,000 people and killing about a dozen fighters, including pro-government militiamen under Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan's control and Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels.
The clashes flared up after the rebels accused the militia of attacking them in response to a June 23 bomb attack on a convoy carrying Ampatuan. At least six people were killed, but the governor - also a Muslim who has had differences with the rebels - escaped unhurt.
Police said the grenade early Friday failed to go off, but didn't offer details about the attackers.
Earlier, police blamed two MILF commanders for trying to kill Ampatuan. The rebels, who are engaged in Malaysian-brokered peace talks with the government and signed a cease-fire three years ago, have denied responsibility for the June attack.
Tensions rose further after the wife of one of the rebel commanders was killed in a drive-by shooting in southern Cotabato city on Wednesday, while the rebels said the incident won't affect the peace process.
The civilian militia and the rebels earlier this week agreed to a truce while Malaysian-led cease-fire observers and a joint government-rebel committee investigate the clashes. (AP) |
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