New bomb blasts wound seven Philippine soldiers
On Wednesday, August 7, two roadside bombs detonated in the Philippines’ tumultuous south, wounding seven soldiers.
Just two days before, a similar explosion killed eight people in the southern city of Cotabato. The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement, which wants to establish an independent state in the south, claimed responsibility for the August 7 attack.
The bombs that exploded were planted along the side of a road frequented by Philippine soldiers near the town of Shariff Saydona Mustapha, on the southern island of Mindanao. The scene of this explosion is only around 26 miles from where the explosion Monday occurred.
Police have speculated that the bomb on August 5 may have been motivated by strictly local politics, as the mayor of Cotabato’s sister was apparently targeted. President Benigno Aquino, however, suggested that the attack was likely linked to his government’s peace talks with separatist Muslim rebels. No group has yet claimed responsibility for that attack.
There is nevertheless plenty of justifiable speculation in the Philippine press that all such attacks are by Muslim separatists with a single issue – independence – on their agenda. Bombings and violent demonstrations have been happening in the south with increasing frequency this year. On July 26, another bomb went off in the Mindanao city of Cagayan de Oro, killing six people and wounding many others.
On Wednesday, August 7, two roadside bombs detonated in the Philippines’ tumultuous south, wounding seven soldiers. Just two days before, a similar explosion killed eight people in the southern city of Cotabato. The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement, which wants to establish an independent state in the south, claimed responsibility for the August 7 attack. The bombs that exploded were planted along the side of a road frequented by Philippine soldiers near the town of Shariff Saydona Mustapha, on the southern island of Mindanao. The scene of this explosion is only around 26 miles from where the explosion Monday occurred. Police...
On Wednesday, August 7, two roadside bombs detonated in the Philippines’ tumultuous south, wounding seven soldiers.
Just two days before, a similar explosion killed eight people in the southern city of Cotabato. The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement, which wants to establish an independent state in the south, claimed responsibility for the August 7 attack.
The bombs that exploded were planted along the side of a road frequented by Philippine soldiers near the town of Shariff Saydona Mustapha, on the southern island of Mindanao. The scene of this explosion is only around 26 miles from where the explosion Monday occurred.
Police have speculated that the bomb on August 5 may have been motivated by strictly local politics, as the mayor of Cotabato’s sister was apparently targeted. President Benigno Aquino, however, suggested that the attack was likely linked to his government’s peace talks with separatist Muslim rebels. No group has yet claimed responsibility for that attack.
There is nevertheless plenty of justifiable speculation in the Philippine press that all such attacks are by Muslim separatists with a single issue – independence – on their agenda. Bombings and violent demonstrations have been happening in the south with increasing frequency this year. On July 26, another bomb went off in the Mindanao city of Cagayan de Oro, killing six people and wounding many others.
