Blast in Philippine south wounds 3 USAID staff

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Blast in Philippine south wounds 3 USAID staff
24 Apr 2007 14:05:20 GMT
Source: Reuters

MANILA, April 24 (Reuters) - Three members of the U.S. Agency
for International Development (USAID) were wounded when a
grenade exploded in front of their office on the southern
Philippine island of Mindanao, a police official said on Tuesday.

Federico Dulay, police chief of North Cotabato province, said two
men on a motorcycle were seen fleeing after the blast outside the
Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) office at about 7 p.m. (1100
GMT).

"We're still investigating the incident to determine the motive for
the attack," Dulay told reporters, adding it was the third blast in
Mindanao's central region, a hotbed of Muslim insurgency against
the central Catholic government since the late 1960s.

"Three staff members of GEM-USAID, including two engineers, were
brought to a clinic for treatment. They're out of danger now."

-snip-

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/MAN23553.htm

[maddezmom]

1. hmmm, wonder what the motive is?

seems pretty obvious to me

[bemildred]

2. Seven hostages beheaded in southern Philippines, says army

The Philippine military says it's recovered the severed heads of seven men kidnapped by Muslim rebels on the southern island of Jolo.

The local military commander says Abu Sayyaf extremists had probably beheaded the men in retaliation for the recent killing of two rebel leaders.

The Philippines has poured thousands of troops into Jolo, as part of an eight-month anti -rebel ground offensive backed by U.S. advisers and equipment.

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/s1901919.htm

[bemildred]

3. Two ASG hostages beheaded in Sulu

Suspected al Qaeda-linked bandits allegedly beheaded two of the seven people they have taken hostage in Sulu, ABS-CBN News reported Thursday.

The report said the beheading took place late in the afternoon and the severed heads were placed in two sacks.

The heads were delivered at 5 p.m. to the 33rd Army Alpha Coy detachment in Lupah Abo highway in Parang town.

Sulu Gov. Ben Loong identified six of the seven hostages as Noynoy Ampoy, Roger Francisco, Loi Teodoro, Toto Nillas, Dennis de los Reyes and Wilmer Santos. The seventh hostage remained unidentified as of posting time.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=74194