Philippines blames rebels for fatal blast

A home-made bomb planted by suspected Muslim rebels exploded prematurely in a market in the southern Philippines today, killing a would-be attacker and wounding 15 civilians, officials said.

The bomb was hidden in a trash can in front of a coffee shop in Datu Saudi Ampatuan township in Maguindanao province, said military spokesman Maj. Randolph Cabangbang.

Authorities suspected the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the attack, but the group denied responsibility.

A separate attack on nearby Basilan Island on Sunday – believed carried out by the more violent, al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf militants – killed seven policemen, the military said.

The volatile region has been the scene of clashes between government forces and Muslim separatist rebels since last year, when Manila scrapped a preliminary peace deal that would have expanded an existing autonomous Muslim region in the predominantly Roman Catholic south.

Eid Kabalu, spokesman for the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front, denied his group’s involvement in Monday’s blast.

Although the 2003 cease-fire between troops and Muslim rebels has largely held, outbursts of fighting have displaced thousands of civilians, and home-made bombs have added to the tensions.

Yesterday, navy Rear Adm Alex Pama said suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen opened fire on a police convoy in far-flung Sumisip township on Basilan Island, killing seven. Two officers survived.

The policemen were returning to camp after escorting a Basilan town mayor, who has backed recent offensives against Abu Sayyaf militants. The gunmen apparently thought the mayor was in the police convoy.

The gunmen may have wanted to avenge the loss of several fighters during recent offensives and the escape of a hostage.

National police chief Jesus Versoza yesterday sent more than 200 members of an elite special action force to Basilan to help combat the militants.

The Abu Sayyaf, which has about 400 fighters, is listed by the US as a terrorist organisation because of its al-Qaida links and numerous terrorist attacks, including against Americans.