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| Southeast Asia |
| 2 dead in Philippines blasts |
| 2010-04-14 |
| [Straits Times] BOMB attacks killed two people on Tuesday on a restive southern Philippine island where Al Qaeda-linked militants are known to operate, police said. The attackers apparently targeted a government building and a church in Isabela city on Basilan island with two home-made bombs, then shot at civilians, provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Antonio Mendoza said. 'Two were killed in the initial blast,' Supt Mendoza told reporters in the port city of Zamboanga, a short ferry ride across the strait from Basilan. The first bomb went off about 10.30am (0230 GMT, 10.30am Singapore time) outside an education department building, according to Supt Mendoza. He said the second, rigged to a motorcycle left near a Roman Catholic church, went off minutes later as security forces chased after the suspects. 'It heavily damaged the church,' he said, but added no-one was wounded in that blast. 'The men were shooting at civilians as they fled towards a forested area,' Supt Mendoza said. Authorities said they were yet to determine who was behind the attacks. |
| Posted by:Fred |