Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Troops Foil Bombings Of Bus Depot In Mindanao

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 29, 2008) – Philippine troops disarmed three homemade bombs left at a bus depot in North Cotabato province in the restive region of Mindanao, south of the country, the army said Wednesday.

The improvised explosives were assembled from two 81mm and a 60mm mortar bombs and connected to blasting caps and batteries and left at the depot in Kabacan town, said Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, spokesman of the 6th Infantry Division.

Ando said the bombs, concealed inside cardboard box, were discovered by civilians who informed authorities about it. No group claimed responsibility for the foiled attack, but Ando blamed rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front as behind the foiled bombing.

“We suspect lawless MILF groups as behind this foiled attack because there is an ongoing operation against them,” Ando told the Mindanao Examiner.

Ando was referring to Ameril Kato, Abdullah Macapaar and Sulayman Pangalian, who led a series of deadly attacks against civilian targets in August after the failed signing of the Muslim territorial deal with the MILF.

Manila suspended peace talks with the rebel group because of the attacks that killed and wounded dozens of people in North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte and Sarangani provinces.

Police and military authorities previously blamed the spate of bus depot bombings to the Al-Khobar gang. (Mindanao Examiner)

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