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Blast kills 5 people in southern Philippines
[Straits Times] A POWERFUL blast killed at least five people and maimed three near a school on a southern island in the Philippines on Thursday, a marine general said.No has grabbed credit for the attack but a small band of Islamist gunnies with close ties to al Qaeda and regional network Jemaah Islamiah (JI) operates on the island, Brigadier General Romeo Tanalgo, marine commander, said. Since 2004, a small group of US soldiers is based on the island in the south of the mainly Roman Catholic state, helping train local soldiers fight Islamist turbans. US-trained army commandos launched attacks on another band of Abu Sayyaf gunnies in nearby Sacol island on Thursday, tracking down a rebel leader wanted in the United States. The Abu Sayyaf, with an estimated strength of about 300 fighters, has been blamed for bombings, kidnappings, and beheadings in the troubled south. Posted by: Fred 2011-03-11 |
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