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| Southeast Asia |
| Jemaah Islamiyah blamed for blasts |
| 2007-10-07 |
| A seriously wounded 12-year old girl died, taking the toll to two in two blasts that occurred near a supermarket and a hotel in the southern Philippines on Friday, the police chief said. Philippine National Police Director General Avelino Razon Jr yesterday in Mindanao blamed the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) for the attacks. Heidi Lozada, 12, died before midnight of Friday, five hours after an explosion occurred near Sugni Supermarket on Quezon Ave in Kidapawan City, which instantly killed Honney May Lozada, 8, and wounded 30 others, most of them college students, said Police forces across the country were placed on alert to prevent a repeat of the blasts in the south, said Razon. Razon identified arrested suspect George German, 27, as a member of the JI, a Southeast Asian conduit of the Al Qaida terror network, which has forged an alliance with the Abu Sayyaf Group, terror group based in the south. "Bomb experts were sure the bomb explosions bore the JI signature," said Razon. Denying any responsibility for the blast near the Sugni Supermarket, German told reporters, "I was drinking with friends when the explosion happened. I was shocked, so I tried to run away so as not to be harmed." Eyewitnesses saw German leaving an explosive device between two parked vehicles, claimed Police Chief Leo Ajero of Kidapawan City. |
| Posted by:Fred |