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| Southeast Asia |
| Deadly Bomb Hits Philippines On Christmas Eve |
| 2002-12-24 |
| A Christmas Eve bomb attack on a town mayor's home by suspected Islamic militants has killed at least 13 people and wounded 12 in the southern Philippines, the military has said. Tuesday's blast rocked the house of Mayor Saudie Ampatuan in Datu Piang in Maguindanao province, said army spokesman Maj. Julieto Ando. Ampatuan died of injuries to his head and abdomen. Among those killed were a town councilor, the treasurer and a bodyguard, Ando said. The others were not immediately identified, Ando said. The death toll rose after authorities counted all the dead from hospitals in different towns. Ando said the military suspected the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels, because "it is only the MILF that is capable of making powerful homemade bombs." That's pretty thin grounds... The military is holding a witness who claimed he saw a man known to be a follower of a rebel commander planting the bomb, Ando said, adding that the blast was caused by mortars tied up with a timing device. But Moro rebel spokesman Eid Kabalu denied involvement, saying the mayor had many personal and political enemies. "There is no reason for us to do that because the mayor is not our enemy," he said. Even in the Philippines, most people's political enemies don't blow them up with bundles of mortar shells. Having the perp recognized would seem to implicate MILF a little more firmly than just saying "it could only be them." The military has in the past blamed the rebels for similar attacks in the area, in which mortars were used. In response to the attack, Ando said a battalion of about 500 soldiers were deployed to Datu Piang. The explosion occurred at a gathering honoring a dead relative of the mayor. Ando said Ampatuan is a "nemesis" of the rebels, who earlier this year attacked a convoy transporting Ampatuan and his father, Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan. The men survived the ambush, but two of their bodyguards died. That fact would seem to establish Kabalu as not only a liar, but a damned liar... Formal peace talks between the government and the MILF are expected to resume next month in Malaysia. Both sides have accuse each other of violating a shaky 1997 truce. What's a few corpses? Talks are the important thing! |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #1 Well, this would seem to set a precedent - what say we bomb a mullah (or imam, your choice) next Ramadan? |
| Posted by: mojo 2002-12-24 10:59:57 |