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| Southeast Asia |
| BIFF behind Bukidnon bus blast |
| 2014-12-13 |
| Militants in the southern Philippines are suspected of carrying out a bus bombing that claimed ten lives. A military spokesman said the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) are thought to have staged Tuesday’s attack, which also left 42 injured The BIFF denied involvement. The bomb was similar to one used in a November attack on another vehicle belonging to the same bus company, which the BIFF is believed to have orchestrated. Major Ezra Balagtey said, "The bomb/IED is made of an 81 mm mortar round (that was) cellphone-activated. The same bomb signature with the IED explosion that happened last November." BIFF spokesman Abu Misry Mama said, "Bombing civilians would not benefit us. The (military) is fabricating stories again to malign us." Rommel Banlaoi, chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research, said it was likely that the BIFF carried out the bombing. He said, "The BIFF is fully engaged in offensive military operations. They are heightening their military activities right now, even their bombing operations. Their bombing activities are commonly mixed with their criminal activities (such as extortion)." In another fresh outbreak of violence in Maguindanao province in Mindanao, at least five people including a village councilman, his wife and two of their relatives were killed in an ambush. Meanwhile, Philippine rescue teams have been struggling to reach upland communities on an eastern island which took the brunt of a recent typhoon amid security fears in the area known as a hotbed of Maoist rebels. |
| Posted by:ryuge |