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Thursday, December 25, 2008
22 injured in Basilan blast
By Bong Garcia
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Explosion rocked an island province in the southern Philippines Tuesday night and hurt 22 people most of whom are watching a free concert sponsored by a major food chain, the military said.
First Lieutenant Steffanie Cacho, information officer of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the incident took place around 9:05 p.m. in a plaza located in front of the provincial capitol in Isabela City, the capital of Basilan province.
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Cacho said the plaza was packed with people watching a free concert sponsored by the Basilan branch of Jollibee food chain when one of two men riding tandem on a motorcycle lobbed a fragmentation grenade into the crowd.
The suspects sped off to unknown direction amidst the commotion among the concert viewers while rushing the victims to the hospitals for treatment, according to Cacho.
Ten of the 22 victims were identified as Berlinda Ganaban, 19; Armoid Esmael, 20; Arham Aron, 16; Nahji Aspara, 18; Muctar Nur, 24; Abdul Naser, 17; Edris Husinzo, 20; Rexter Peralta, 22; Hajimar Sahir, 18 and Alwaidz Mohammad, 21.
She said the explosion also damaged the glass panels of the food chain outlet.
"The motive of the incident is yet to be determined," Cacho said.
The incident took place several hours after the police and military authorities foiled a bomb attack on a bus traveling from Pagadian City en route to Zamboanga City.
The bombing attempt was foiled when the explosive was discovered by policemen aboard the bus around 1:30 p.m. in Barangay Bulatoc, Pagadian City.
The improvised bomb was fashioned out of two 60-milimeter-mortar shells that were placed inside a bag.
The bomb was disrupted by the explosive ordnance demolition (EOD) personnel.
Military authorities also foiled bombing attempts last Friday and Sunday in Iligan City.
The explosion in Basilan was the second in a week's time in the area of jurisdiction of the military's Westmincom.
The first was last Thursday wherein three people died while 50 others were wounded when two bombs exploded one after on two commercial establishments in downtown Iligan City. (Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Iloilo. (December 25, 2008 issue)
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