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Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Twin explosions rock Zambo market
By Bong Garcia
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Two bombs exploded one after the other early Tuesday in Zamboanga City's public market, the local police reported.
The two successive explosions occurred two weeks after a bomb blast in a public plaza here injured 16 people.
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No one, however, was injured in Tuesday's twin bombings, which a police official said could be the handiwork of extortionists.
City Police Director Manuel Barcena said the first explosion took place at an eatery around 4 a.m. while the second blast occurred 15 minutes later in a vegetable outlet.
Barcena said the bombs that exploded like giant firecracker were made of ammonium nitrate and petroleum packed inside bottles of soft drinks. Their findings were based on residues recovered by the bomb disposal teams.
The explosions did not cause any damage or injury since there were only a few people in the market at the time of the incidents.
Barcena said extortionists may be behind the blasts, and downplayed fears these were perpetrated by the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group.
He ordered his personnel to strengthen security in the market and other public places, as police investigates the incident to identify those behind the bombings.
In the evening of August 21, a bomb exploded at Plaza Pershing--some 150 meters away from City Hall and three blocks away from the local police headquarters. The blast injured 16 persons.
Barcena released the cartographic sketches of two of the three suspects in the Plaza Pershing blast.
Police and military authorities said the bombing could be a diversionary tactic of the Abu Sayyaf aimed at easing pressure on the bandits in the provinces of Basilan and Sulu who are being targeted in military offensives.
Police said they have already established the identities of the suspects but refused to disclose other details. A manhunt was launched for the arrest the suspects. (Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (September 5, 2007 issue)
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