COTABATO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 08 Jun) – At least 5 people were injured when a homemade bomb exploded Friday in a commuter bus in the southern Philippines, officials said.
“At least five passengers are wounded in the blast. We are awaiting reports about the bombing,” Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, spokesman for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, told the independent regional newspaper, the Mindanao Examiner.
He said the explosion occurred in the town of Matalam in North Cotabato province.” Troops were deployed in the town to help police secure the area.
It was not immediately known what type of bomb was used in the attack. But the bombing occurred just a week after the United States warned its citizens of possible terror attacks in the restive region, where security forces are battling the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya militants.
The U.S. told its citizens not to travel in the troubled region because of the terror threats.
Terrorists may be planning an attack on civilian areas, particularly in bus depot and market places, it said.
On Friday, the United States Embassy in Manila also issued a warden notice urging its citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance in the Philippines ahead of the Independence Day celebration.
“In light of the approaching Republic of the Philippines Independence Day on June 12, 2006, the Embassy strongly urges American citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness.”
“There is a possibility of demonstrations during the weekend. We wish to remind American citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence,” it said.
The latest blast occurred even as Philippine authorities said it placed the southern region in heightened alert.
The region is home to local terrorist group, Abu Sayyaf and several rebel organizations, including the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the communist New People’s Army and smaller breakaway factions and bandits, blamed for ransom kidnappings of foreigners and wealthy Filipino traders.
Philippine soldiers on Monday already doubled its security in Maguindanao province following a foiled bombing of a packed commuter bus. Soldiers disarmed a homemade bomb planted in a bus late Sunday.
The bomb was discovered by the bus driver after he made a stop in the province to pick up passengers. The bomb was rigged to an electronic timer that would trigger detonation.
No individual or group claimed responsibility for the foiled bombing, but the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiya are actively operating in the province.
The United States Embassy said: “The Embassy has information that terrorists may be planning to carry out bombings at bus terminals and public market places.”
“U.S. citizens should exercise extreme caution in central Mindanao. U. S. citizens living and working in central Mindanao are urged to reassess their personal security and to keep a low profile, and should avoid public gathering places,” it said.
Terror bombing in Mindanao last month killed at least 11 people and wounded more than 100 others and Filipino authorities blamed the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya in the latest bombings.
In 2004, the Abu Sayyaf bombed a ferry off the Manila Bay and killed more than 100 passengers. The U.S. blacklisted the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiya and added them to the list of foreign terrorist organizations and Washington offered as much as ten million dollars for the capture of their leaders. (With a report from Mark Navales)
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