Powerful blast rocks Philippine police compound, two hurt

dpa German Press Agency
Published: Sunday October 15, 2006

Zamboanga City, Philippines- A powerful explosion rocked a police compound on a southern Philippine island on Sunday, wounding at least two persons, the military said. The blast occurred inside Camp Asturias, where a 10-bedroom inn is also located, on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, said Brigadier General Raymond Ferrer.

Ferrer said the explosion was "powerful," but he could not immediately give information on what caused the blast.

The military headquarters in Manila said at least two persons were reported injured in the explosion, which followed a series of bomb attacks and attempts since last week.

Earlier Sunday, troops found and safely defused a homemade bomb in a public market in Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur province, 810 kilometres south of Manila.

Last Tuesday and Wednesday, three separate bombings killed six people and wounded more than 30 others in the southern province of North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.

The bombings were blamed on al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militants and Abu Sayyaf rebels, who have been held responsible for some of the worst terrorist attacks in the Philippines.

© 2006 dpa German Press Agency