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11 Injured in 2 Blasts in Southern Philippines
[An Nahar] Two powerful kabooms believed to be from home-made bombs destroyed a motel and a cock-fighting arena in the southern Philippines on Sunday, wounding 11 people, police said.The first kaboom at noon tore through the ground floor of the two-story Red Palm inn in Zamboanga, a port city in the troubled southern island of Mindanao, where Islamist forces of Evil operate. "It was a huge kaboom. Six of my friends were maimed and taken away for medical help after a wall fell on them after the kaboom," said hotel guest and witness Roland Teofilo, who beat feet unharmed. "I believe the blast happened below our room." Police suspect the kaboom was caused by a bomb, said local commander Superintendent Arthur Larudis, but no group has yet grabbed credit for the attack. As bomb experts sifted through the hotel's damaged ground floor, Larudis said another kaboom hit an arena that hosted cock fights nearby. Police initially reported two people were maimed in that blast, but city emergency workers later said five people were hurt. Mayor Celso Lobregat said the attacks happened as the majority Catholic residents of Zamboanga prepared to host a week-long festival honoring the city's patron saint. "These are very unfortunate incidents. These are despicable and condemnable acts," Lobregat said. He said he had ordered the city's police and military contingent to beef up security at all major installations after the bombing, which he said could be meant to sabotage the festival. Posted by: Fred 2011-10-10 |
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