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Wednesday, August 22, 2007
14 injured in Zambo bomb explosion
By Bong Garcia
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- An improvised explosive device exploded at the city plaza Tuesday evening, injuring 14 people.
Zamboanga City Police Office Director Manuel Barcena said the incident took place at 7:32 p.m. in Plaza Pershing.
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Barcena said the explosive was placed under one of the concrete benches in the plaza, some 150 meters away from City Hall and three blocks away from the local police headquarters.
Twelve of the victims were rushed to the government-owned Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) while the other two were brought to the Zamboanga Brent Hospital (ZBH), a privately owned facility.
Barcena said they were on heightened security "due to what is happening in other areas...but we cannot just stop this kind of activity."
Local police and military forces had been on alert since government launched an offensive against those behind the July 10 attack on Marine troops in Al-Barka in Basilan.
Fourteen Marines, 10 of them beheaded, were killed while nine others wounded during that incident.
Bomb experts on Tuesday gathered debris to determine the type of explosive used in the incident. Five US servicemen were seen assisting personnel of the Explosive and Ordnance Demolition (EOD). Two of the American soldiers were in uniforms.
Initially, bomb personnel recovered a battery and a magnet from the site. These could have been used to power the explosive device.
The explosion destroyed the concrete bench where it was planted and shattered window glasses of a nearby department store.
Security measures in and around the city were further tightened following the incident. (Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (August 22, 2007 issue)
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