| ||
| ||
| ||
 |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Airport bomb suspects held
MANILA, Philippines -- Police are questioning several suspects in connection with Tuesday's bomb attack at an airport in the southern Philippines that killed 21 people. At least 145 others were injured when the bomb, believed to have been planted in a backpack, exploded in the middle of the waiting area at Davao City airport on Mindanao Island at about 5.30 p.m. local time (0930 GMT). Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who has invited U.S. troops to help train local forces in counter-terrorism, condemned the bombing as "a brazen act of terrorism which shall not go unpunished." In a separate incident, a less powerful bomb exploded in Tagum, north of Davao, slightly injuring two people. No one has claimed responsibility for either attack, but Arroyo said "several men" had been detained in connection with the airport blast. Five suspected Muslim rebels were being questioned by police, Reuters reported. Authorities say the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) could be behind the blasts, but the group has denied any involvement. U.S. President George W. Bush also condemned the "wanton terrorist act and pledges cooperation and assistance to ensure that those who were responsible are brought to justice," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. An American missionary was among those killed. Included in the list of fatalities were two children, 10 men and seven women. Two of the injured died overnight in hospital. Muslim insurgents and guerilla groups, including the Abu Sayyaf and the MILF, have been waging a bloody battle against the government for decades, mainly in the country's south. Fighting has escalated since the Philippine military attacked a key MILF stronghold three weeks ago. Since then, the military has blamed a series of bombings and raids on the MILF, including an attack on power transmission towers which triggered a massive power failure in the southern Philippines last week. U.S. roleThe bombings come as the Philippines debate the role of U.S. forces in its war on terror. Washington and Manila are considering how U.S. forces can be used in the fight against Abu Sayyaf rebels. Plans for joint military exercises involving more than 1,000 U.S. soldiers, including Special Forces, were shelved after a dispute over terminology and a combat role for the American deployment flared up in the Philippines. The U.S. role was set to extend beyond the scope of training exercises it has conducted in the Philippines in the past. (Options debated) During a relatively successful six-month anti-terror training mission last year in Basilan against the Abu Sayyaf, U.S. forces were based a long way from the front lines. Some U.S. Special Forces are currently training Philippine units in counter-terrorism tactics in and around the city of Zamboanga, 350 kilometers (220 miles) west of Davao. Davao is 980 kilometers (609 miles) south of Manila. Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
