Southern Philippine Bombing Kills Two

A father whispers to his wounded son at the Cotabato Regional Medical Center as doctors attend to his wife and daughter who are also injured in a bomb attack May 08, 2008 in Midsayap town in North Cotabato province. (Mindanao Examiner Photo/Mark Navales).

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 8, 2008) – A bomb explosion Thursday ripped through a commuter van in the southern Philippines, killing several people and wounding at least 8 others, officials said.

Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, a regional army spokesman, said the blast occurred at around 3 p.m. in the town of Midsayap in North Cotabato province. “We are getting conflicting reports, military in the area say only two people are were killed in the explosion,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

Ando said the van was loading passengers bound for Davao City when the explosion occurred. “We still don’t know what type of explosive was used in the attack,” he said.

But other reports in province said as many as three people were killed and some of the wounded are in critical condition in hospitals. Some of those wounded were brought to hospitals in Cotabato City.

No group or individual claimed responsibility for the attack, but Ando said criminal gangs extorting from provincial bus firms and traders were behind previous attacks.

“We still do not know who were behind this explosion, but extortionists had been blamed in past attacks in the province,” Ando said.

He said police and soldiers have put up road blocks and were inspecting vehicles for weapons or explosives. “We have already intensified check point operation in the area,” Ando said.

Military and police authorities previously blamed the Al-Khobar and the Pentagon gangs and the Abu Sayyaf and communist insurgents in previous bombings in North Cotabato.

Last month, a homemade bomb exploded at a bus depot in Midsayap. Although there were no casualties, the blast April 26 however, damaged a commuter bus. The explosive, assembled from a mortar round, was left near the bus, owned by Weena Transit.

Three people were also killed and 15 others injured in a bomb explosion at a bus depot in Cotabato City. (With reports from Mark Navales)